Ugh! I totally forgot to post this! It's a good thing that toddlers love to sing songs regardless of what season it is!
Ellie's version of Jingle Bells:
Jingle bells. Jingle bells. Jingle all da way. Oh what fun it is to ride when wonder horses play!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
For those of you using Reader
I don't think you've seen the new and improved blog layout! Check it out! I added tabs across the top - "About Niffer," "About Ellie," "About Addie" and the really cool "Ask Niffer." Now you can ask me any question you want and I'll answer it. You may even spark a post topic or two. I just thought I'd let you know what you might be missing out on.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Niffer pumps 10 oz!!!
We're in the process of changing Addie's sleeping habits and as a result, I just pumped 10 oz of milk. How does that make Niffer feel? 
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Big Sister Quote of the Day XXVI
Mommy: Ellie please stop licking Addie.
Ellie: But why?
Mommy: It's yucky.
Ellie: No, is ice-cream!
Ellie: But why?
Mommy: It's yucky.
Ellie: No, is ice-cream!
Thumper
I usually consider myself someone who sleeps well. I'm often aware of what's going on around me but I can sleep through it anyway. I certainly wish I could say that was helping me now.
I wish I could just blame it all on the baby. That would be nice and simple and everyone would understand. But even though she hasn't been sleeping well (she woke every couple hours for over a month), she has been better the last few nights (waking once or twice between 6:30 pm and 6:00 am). So she's just as innocent as she looks.
During the month of her sleeping so poorly, we've been taking turns being sick. So, even if she's peacefully sleeping away, my husband (or I) will be peacefully snoring away. Not so peaceful for the remaining person in the bed.
If you can make it past that, Ellie also has been taking her turn being sick. She'll wake in the middle of the night with horrible coughing spells that just make me want to scream. Not fun for either of us.
Then there are the cats. Anyone who has had cats know that they love being awake at night. Anything from simply jumping on and off the bed, to chasing each other, to spazzing out like cats do, to hissing at the dog, to simply laying on my head and purring happily... these two fuzz balls are not free of guilt.
But don't forget the dog. Merlin sleeps downstairs by himself, mainly because the cats hate him, but often he's dreaming a big doggie dream that can only entail chasing herds of bunnies through lush green fields of grass. Let's just say he talks and kicks in his dreams. I'm glad he's not in the bed with us.
Then there is the train. Let's not forget the train. I will never understand why some nights the train can sneak by without me noticing it at all, while other nights it sounds like it's going to come right through my bedroom window. Is it the wind? UGH. Does the train REALLY need to sound it's horn at every intersection when it really knows deep down that no one is awake at that hour of the night. It's like running that stupid red light in the middle of nowhere because you KNOW that you're all alone on the road.
Finally, let's talk about Michael's smart phone. There is the occasional email from a coworker on the nights that he accidentally forgets to silence his phone. And no matter how much I try to telepathically plea with those Europeans, they keep insisting on working the hours that are most convenient to them, not me.
So, as you can see, I have more than my share of stuff keeping me awake. I do not need another one. But now there is this. The house thumps. You heard me. THE. HOUSE. THUMPS. We started noticing it almost a week ago and we've been stumped at what is causing the thumping. Was it the heater turning on? An animal in our walls? Our next door neighbor blasting his music? Last night we FINALLY figured it out. It's Baby Addie!
OMG, people! How is it possible for a little baby to kick the floor (she's been sleeping in the closet to keep from waking Ellie up) so loud that it can be heard throughout the house????
I guess this topic makes a full circle and the blame can once again be placed on Addie. Our solution is to put a pillow under her legs and hope to sleep tonight. LOL. Next?
I wish I could just blame it all on the baby. That would be nice and simple and everyone would understand. But even though she hasn't been sleeping well (she woke every couple hours for over a month), she has been better the last few nights (waking once or twice between 6:30 pm and 6:00 am). So she's just as innocent as she looks.
During the month of her sleeping so poorly, we've been taking turns being sick. So, even if she's peacefully sleeping away, my husband (or I) will be peacefully snoring away. Not so peaceful for the remaining person in the bed.
If you can make it past that, Ellie also has been taking her turn being sick. She'll wake in the middle of the night with horrible coughing spells that just make me want to scream. Not fun for either of us.
Then there are the cats. Anyone who has had cats know that they love being awake at night. Anything from simply jumping on and off the bed, to chasing each other, to spazzing out like cats do, to hissing at the dog, to simply laying on my head and purring happily... these two fuzz balls are not free of guilt.
But don't forget the dog. Merlin sleeps downstairs by himself, mainly because the cats hate him, but often he's dreaming a big doggie dream that can only entail chasing herds of bunnies through lush green fields of grass. Let's just say he talks and kicks in his dreams. I'm glad he's not in the bed with us.
Then there is the train. Let's not forget the train. I will never understand why some nights the train can sneak by without me noticing it at all, while other nights it sounds like it's going to come right through my bedroom window. Is it the wind? UGH. Does the train REALLY need to sound it's horn at every intersection when it really knows deep down that no one is awake at that hour of the night. It's like running that stupid red light in the middle of nowhere because you KNOW that you're all alone on the road.
Finally, let's talk about Michael's smart phone. There is the occasional email from a coworker on the nights that he accidentally forgets to silence his phone. And no matter how much I try to telepathically plea with those Europeans, they keep insisting on working the hours that are most convenient to them, not me.
So, as you can see, I have more than my share of stuff keeping me awake. I do not need another one. But now there is this. The house thumps. You heard me. THE. HOUSE. THUMPS. We started noticing it almost a week ago and we've been stumped at what is causing the thumping. Was it the heater turning on? An animal in our walls? Our next door neighbor blasting his music? Last night we FINALLY figured it out. It's Baby Addie!
OMG, people! How is it possible for a little baby to kick the floor (she's been sleeping in the closet to keep from waking Ellie up) so loud that it can be heard throughout the house????
I guess this topic makes a full circle and the blame can once again be placed on Addie. Our solution is to put a pillow under her legs and hope to sleep tonight. LOL. Next?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Big Sister Quote of the Day XXV
On her way out the door to go to school, Ellie says, "Oh, I forgot to gif Add-a-line a giss!" She bends down to kiss Addie on the cheek. "I luv you!" she whispers.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Because I said so
MJH wrote an interesting post defending parents using the term "Because I said so" to their children. I love it when MJH writes his thoughts on parenting. I find that I often gain a new perspective and often get new ideas on how to approach my own children. In all honesty, after reading the post I initially thought things like, "well that makes sense" or "I never thought of it like that before, but sure." However, as I thought about it more and more, I disagree with him more and more. Sorry, MJH. =)
Let me start off with saying that neither my husband nor I remember our parents using the term "Because I said so." I asked my sister, though, and she does. She said that our mom used to say that a lot, followed by "if I'm wrong I'll pay for counseling" when she was a teenager. My sister was more... let's say "rebellious" than I was. I only point that out because I feel like this is not a "I'm not going to be like my parents" reaction on my part.
I'm not going to approach the God-side of MJH's post. I don't want to open that can of worms (smile), but I did want to comment on my thoughts on the topic in general, because I do think it's an interesting one to discuss.
MJH essentially says that he uses "Because I said so" in situations where he feels like his children can not possibly understand the reasons or consequences for something. I agree with him that a young child (I'll obviously use my almost three year old daughter as my reference point) can not understand *ALL* the consequences of something like making Mommy or Daddy late for work. However, that does not mean they're incapable of understanding that their is a consequence for them not getting ready quickly.
If we were to bluntly end any discussion with Ellie with "Get your shoes on right now because I said so" then I'm sure we'd have a much more frustrated Ellie. Instead, we try to explain the consequences in a way that is relevant to her. "If you don't put your shoes on quickly then Mommy's not going to have time to read you books" or even "You're taking too long to get ready. It's taking away Mommy's energy, which means she won't be able to play blocks with you later." Those are consequences that she understands. Granted this requires a little more planning on our part. We have to get ready in time to allow us to read her one book at school before leaving. I think that's fair. She does something nice for us (which results in our lives being more enjoyable) which makes us want to do something nice for her (which results in her life being more enjoyable).
She may not understand all the consequences of making us late for work. She may not understand the effect that has on family vacations or the amount of time that Mommy has to stay at work. But she does understand that if she takes a long time getting ready then Mommy does not have the time or the energy to read her a book, or play games when she gets home.
There is definitely something to the stalling thing that MJH mentioned. Ellie constantly comes up with ways to stall, but we just try to come up with consistent consequences for that. Fewer books or no books. No energy to play Ellie's favorite game. Mommy doesn't have the energy to do bedtime so Daddy needs to instead. Things of that nature, but they're all consequences that Ellie understands because it effects those things she holds most dear. We know this works because there are days when Ellie wakes up and exclaims, "Hurry! Hurry! We want to read books, right Mommy?" Right.
MJH said that him not explaining himself to his children is similar to other relationships. One being his relationship with God (I've already said I'm not going to touch that one right now), but the other example he gave was with his boss at work. I disagree with his simplification of his relationships. His boss most likely never tells him "Do this because I said so," even if he may not understand all the reasons or consequences that his boss is aware of. Instead, his boss most likely simplifies the situation in terms that MJH can understand. Something more like "You need to do this in order for us to meet our goal. If you fail then the project will run out of money or time." Similarly, even though MJH does not bombard his boss with all the details of something that he understands better, it's doubtful he'd ever say "Sir, I'm doing it this way because I said so." Instead, he'll say something like "I need to take the time write the program like this because will be more user-friendly." That's something his boss would understand even if he does not know the details of the software MJH is responsible for.
Our relationships with our children are similar. I agree that they can not understand the big picture. They shouldn't have to. They're too busy being the little kids that they are. However, I feel like closing the topic with a "because I said so" sells the children short on what they *CAN* understand. I think that the assumption that a parent is all-knowing relative to the children is a faulty assumption. It never fails to amaze me how much Ellie really does understand. If I based all my conversations with her on what I assume a three year old understands, I would never be amazed. Not to mention, Ellie would probably be less enlightened and more annoyed.
I think the challenge as a parent, is not to simply not explain things but to put them in a context such that they can be understood. It's simply just too easy to sell your kids short on how much they're capable of understanding. It is our job as parents to put in every effort to explain things to our kids so that they can better understand, and thus interact with, the world around them.
As for the God side of the argument, I feel like comparing the relationship that God has with his people to the relationship between parents and children is unfair. God may very well know with absolute certainty what any individual can and can't understand, but we do not know anything with absolute certainty about what our kids can or cannot understand. Sorry. I tried to stay away from that, but I couldn't help it.
Let me start off with saying that neither my husband nor I remember our parents using the term "Because I said so." I asked my sister, though, and she does. She said that our mom used to say that a lot, followed by "if I'm wrong I'll pay for counseling" when she was a teenager. My sister was more... let's say "rebellious" than I was. I only point that out because I feel like this is not a "I'm not going to be like my parents" reaction on my part.
I'm not going to approach the God-side of MJH's post. I don't want to open that can of worms (smile), but I did want to comment on my thoughts on the topic in general, because I do think it's an interesting one to discuss.
MJH essentially says that he uses "Because I said so" in situations where he feels like his children can not possibly understand the reasons or consequences for something. I agree with him that a young child (I'll obviously use my almost three year old daughter as my reference point) can not understand *ALL* the consequences of something like making Mommy or Daddy late for work. However, that does not mean they're incapable of understanding that their is a consequence for them not getting ready quickly.
If we were to bluntly end any discussion with Ellie with "Get your shoes on right now because I said so" then I'm sure we'd have a much more frustrated Ellie. Instead, we try to explain the consequences in a way that is relevant to her. "If you don't put your shoes on quickly then Mommy's not going to have time to read you books" or even "You're taking too long to get ready. It's taking away Mommy's energy, which means she won't be able to play blocks with you later." Those are consequences that she understands. Granted this requires a little more planning on our part. We have to get ready in time to allow us to read her one book at school before leaving. I think that's fair. She does something nice for us (which results in our lives being more enjoyable) which makes us want to do something nice for her (which results in her life being more enjoyable).
She may not understand all the consequences of making us late for work. She may not understand the effect that has on family vacations or the amount of time that Mommy has to stay at work. But she does understand that if she takes a long time getting ready then Mommy does not have the time or the energy to read her a book, or play games when she gets home.
There is definitely something to the stalling thing that MJH mentioned. Ellie constantly comes up with ways to stall, but we just try to come up with consistent consequences for that. Fewer books or no books. No energy to play Ellie's favorite game. Mommy doesn't have the energy to do bedtime so Daddy needs to instead. Things of that nature, but they're all consequences that Ellie understands because it effects those things she holds most dear. We know this works because there are days when Ellie wakes up and exclaims, "Hurry! Hurry! We want to read books, right Mommy?" Right.
MJH said that him not explaining himself to his children is similar to other relationships. One being his relationship with God (I've already said I'm not going to touch that one right now), but the other example he gave was with his boss at work. I disagree with his simplification of his relationships. His boss most likely never tells him "Do this because I said so," even if he may not understand all the reasons or consequences that his boss is aware of. Instead, his boss most likely simplifies the situation in terms that MJH can understand. Something more like "You need to do this in order for us to meet our goal. If you fail then the project will run out of money or time." Similarly, even though MJH does not bombard his boss with all the details of something that he understands better, it's doubtful he'd ever say "Sir, I'm doing it this way because I said so." Instead, he'll say something like "I need to take the time write the program like this because will be more user-friendly." That's something his boss would understand even if he does not know the details of the software MJH is responsible for.
Our relationships with our children are similar. I agree that they can not understand the big picture. They shouldn't have to. They're too busy being the little kids that they are. However, I feel like closing the topic with a "because I said so" sells the children short on what they *CAN* understand. I think that the assumption that a parent is all-knowing relative to the children is a faulty assumption. It never fails to amaze me how much Ellie really does understand. If I based all my conversations with her on what I assume a three year old understands, I would never be amazed. Not to mention, Ellie would probably be less enlightened and more annoyed.
I think the challenge as a parent, is not to simply not explain things but to put them in a context such that they can be understood. It's simply just too easy to sell your kids short on how much they're capable of understanding. It is our job as parents to put in every effort to explain things to our kids so that they can better understand, and thus interact with, the world around them.
As for the God side of the argument, I feel like comparing the relationship that God has with his people to the relationship between parents and children is unfair. God may very well know with absolute certainty what any individual can and can't understand, but we do not know anything with absolute certainty about what our kids can or cannot understand. Sorry. I tried to stay away from that, but I couldn't help it.
An introduction to snow plows
DAY ONE:
Ellie: Hey, Mommie, what's dat?
Mommy: It's a snow plow.
Ellie: Why is it a snow cow?
Mommy: Snow plows help move the snow off of the roads.
Ellie: But why?
Mommy: So that the roads are safer.
Ellie: So da cars don't get hurt?
Mommy: Exactly. Look, there's another snow plow.
Ellie: Anoder snow cow? Where?
Mommy: Right there, see the blinking lights?
Ellie: Oh. Is doing a really great job!
Mommy: It sure is.
Ellie: But not on dis road. Maybe later.
Mommy: Yeah, maybe later the snow plow will get to this road.
Ellie: But why?
Mommy: They do the big roads first and this road to your school is only a small one.
Ellie: No, Mommy! Dat's silly! Snow cows don't go to school!
Mommy: You're right.
Ellie: Dat would be funny!
DAY TWO:
Ellie: Mommy, where are da snow clouds?
Mommy: Snow plow?
Ellie: Yeah, where are they?
Mommy: They're not out today because there's no snow on the roads.
Ellie: Oh. But where do snow clouds live?
Mommy: Uh.... in a big garage with big tractors?
Ellie: Oh, big lellow tractors?
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: And da snow cloud comes out when dere is snow on the ground?
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: And da tractors stay asleep?
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: Oh.
DAY THREE:
Ellie: Hey, Mommy! It snowed outside!
Mommy: It sure did!
Ellie: Let's see a snow cloud today!
Mommy: Ok, we'll look for one. Let me know you see one.
Ellie: Is in garage wif da tractors?
Mommy: I don't know.
Ellie: I don't like da tractors but snow clouds are my friend. They do a good job.
Mommy: Yes they do.
Ellie: But they don't go to school! That would be weird.
Ellie: Hey, Mommie, what's dat?
Mommy: It's a snow plow.
Ellie: Why is it a snow cow?
Mommy: Snow plows help move the snow off of the roads.
Ellie: But why?
Mommy: So that the roads are safer.
Ellie: So da cars don't get hurt?
Mommy: Exactly. Look, there's another snow plow.
Ellie: Anoder snow cow? Where?
Mommy: Right there, see the blinking lights?
Ellie: Oh. Is doing a really great job!
Mommy: It sure is.
Ellie: But not on dis road. Maybe later.
Mommy: Yeah, maybe later the snow plow will get to this road.
Ellie: But why?
Mommy: They do the big roads first and this road to your school is only a small one.
Ellie: No, Mommy! Dat's silly! Snow cows don't go to school!
Mommy: You're right.
Ellie: Dat would be funny!
DAY TWO:
Ellie: Mommy, where are da snow clouds?
Mommy: Snow plow?
Ellie: Yeah, where are they?
Mommy: They're not out today because there's no snow on the roads.
Ellie: Oh. But where do snow clouds live?
Mommy: Uh.... in a big garage with big tractors?
Ellie: Oh, big lellow tractors?
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: And da snow cloud comes out when dere is snow on the ground?
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: And da tractors stay asleep?
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: Oh.
DAY THREE:
Ellie: Hey, Mommy! It snowed outside!
Mommy: It sure did!
Ellie: Let's see a snow cloud today!
Mommy: Ok, we'll look for one. Let me know you see one.
Ellie: Is in garage wif da tractors?
Mommy: I don't know.
Ellie: I don't like da tractors but snow clouds are my friend. They do a good job.
Mommy: Yes they do.
Ellie: But they don't go to school! That would be weird.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Niffer's 1,000th Post!
And it just keeps getting better...
And better...
And better!
Some of my favorite posts from the past... (I swear I did narrow it down!)
Pregnant with Ellie:
Oh Lovely
Instant Tummy: Just Add Water
People Are Starting to Talk
Migratory Habits of the Elusive Niffer
Niffer Tsunami
Baby Ellie:
Girl Power
Baby Sleeps From 8:00pm to 4:0am
Alert the Press
Signs of Sleep Deprivation
The Return of the Boobs
Family Dreams
Booger Nation
Bear Hug
Hissy Fit
We've Come a Long Way, Baby!
Toddler Ellie:
Things That Shouldn't Be Told Mid-Mtn-Dew-Chug
Glimpse Into Life as a Niffer
The Uses of Bye-Bye
Crabby People are Over-Rated
Finish What You Have First
Cartoon Physics
Ellie Traveling Stories
Merlin Oh Oh II
The Name Game
Aunt Erin Has Buttons Too
Hide And Seek Take II
Junk in the Way
Suck it, Daddy! Suck it!
I See the Moon
Wordless Wednesday VII
When You Get Bigger
Why?
Naming Baby II
What Daddy Doesn't See
Big Sister Quote of the Day XXII
Pregnant with Addie:
Daddy Named You
Introduction to Baby
Baby in Mommy's Tummy II
Warning: May Expand at High Altitudes
Translating Pregnant Nifferese
Baby Addie:
Ellie Meets Addie
Cured
A Lecture On Not Sleeping
DIY Miracle Latch
Ellie Finds Mommy's Breast Pump
Social Disgrace
* A special thanks to Salina for making my pictures look so PURR-TEE!
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