All Done Nina!

Megan seems to learn phrases or sentences, memorize them and use them appropriately, without actually understanding how grammar works (this must be common for toddlers right?). She'll say "It's raining out" but she really doesn't understand the use of "it" or contractions, or what "out" adds to that sentence. She hears it at daycare a lot, so she repeats it whenever it's raining. She also commonly says "It's cold out"....same thing. No real comprehension of the grammar behind that sentence, but she knows it's the right thing to say when it's cold. Fair enough.

Last night after dinner, she said "All done Nina!" and then she said it again after breakfast this morning: "All done Nina!"

One of the daycare workers is named Nina. No one in our house is named Nina or anything even close to Nina.

I think I just might know where she got this phrase. Bunch of daycare kids at round tables eating lunch or snack are told to say "All done Nina" and then Nina comes and helps them clean up. Hear that phrase enough, and bingo - you've learned the catchall for what to say when you're finished eating!

Unnecessary

Introducing....Megan's completely unnecessary to the point of ridiculous PONYTAIL!!!

...and her messy face as she dabbles in two containers of yogurt while balanced precariously on a chair in my usual desperation to find her Something To Do.

In other unnecessary news, we went trick or treating on Halloween with Megan and four other toddlers. Their parents came too, it's not like they dropped their kids off so that Brad and I could celebrate the evening with them. It was awesome fun! Megan totally understood everything about the routine of going up to the door, knocking, saying "TIKUHTEEE" getting candy in her bag, and saying thank you.

The unnecessary part? The candy! Megan hadn't really seen candy before, so she had NO IDEA what she was getting in her bag. Which we called a purse because she likes purses. She just adored getting "stuff" that was brightly coloured in crinkly wrappers in her purse! After she went to bed we ate a bunch of her candy, threw out the icky stuff and voila! Halloween success minus the candy. I love the innocence of a 22 month old and just know that by next year my almost three year old will almost certainly be much much more worldly.

It must be so weird for Megan (and other toddlers) - randomly we dress her and her friends up like stuffed animals, take them out in the dark, walk up to strange houses and knock on doors and get stuff.....then we don't do it again the next night or really ever mention it much again! At least this year Megan was old enough to appreciate the Halloween decorations - some of the neighbours went all out, and she totally knew something special was going on. Last year we took her and another little one out and they really had NO CLUE that they were even in costume, much less that there was anything strange or different about the houses we visited. Plus, they couldn't walk, and her one friend only had two teeth, so there was NO CHANCE anyone believed the candy was for anyone other than their parents. It's amazing how much changes in a year.

We have had yet more busy busy around here with a pile of sick sick sick thrown in for good measure.

Two weeks ago Brad left for a work trip and I was on my own, which was fine until two days into the trip when I started coughing. Bad enough that on Thursday I pulled something in my back just from coughing. And Megan was getting sick but I was ignoring it and dropping her off at daycare quicker every morning, in hopes that no worker there would notice and send her home with me. See, I'd rather go to work sick-ish than stay home all day sick having to take care of my sick kid. Hi there, Eva's warped mind!

I had decided that I'd stay home sick with Megan on Friday, then something came up at work, so I showered, made lunch, dressed us both AND loaded her up with orange juice, then did the now-familiar quickie dropoff. By noon I was fading into coughs and went home sick. At 2ish daycare I got The Call from daycare, and had to do the Drive of Shame to go pick her up. Her and her 101.5 fever. I sobbed as I drove, feeling like the worst mother ever, because what kind of monster sends a sick kid to daycare?

When I got there, Megan and another little boy were lying on their tummies, shirts off, with cool damp cloths on their backs, and one of the workers was rubbing their backs. "Poor little tragic Megan" I thought, while immediately thinking "Yay! I'm not the only monster mother who sent a sick kid in today! I'm not the worst!" A third kid was also getting sent home, so I really didn't feel that bad after all. Well, other than the Sick taking Sicker home thing.

We spent last weekend sick but getting better, and I had help from a few people without whom I would have lost my mind at having to stay home and Be Sick. We stayed home last Monday as well, but by then things were mostly ok. Still lots of coughing (me!) and sleeping (Megan!) but we were well enough to venture to Ikea. Which - sidenote - BIG mistake. Sick kids don't belong in chaotic commercialized environments. Sick mommas especially don't belong in chaotic commercialized environments with sick kids having constant meltdowns over NOTHING but how shitty they feel.

I spent the whole week coughing and scaring the hell out of people. "IT'S NOT H1N1 I SWEAR TO GOD IT'S JUST A COLD" became my catchphrase. And Brad came home on Wednesday and all was right again. I had support and hugs and help. I don't know how single parents do it. Being sick and taking care of a sick kid is very stressful. I know how lucky I am.

File This Under "WTF"

This is what was hanging from Megan's cubby at daycare today. On October 19. By a fellow daycare child - let's face it, mom - who just didn't have enough to do with her weekend. Who has to fill individual cellophane bags with homemade Martha-esque cards and little chocolates, and label them, one for each of the 14 kids in the Toddler Program at daycare. Who probably has a to-do list of "Halloween Items" that includes "14 days before Halloween: hand make cards and stuff into cute themed bags with chocolates and individual labels" and "12 days before Halloween: distribute bags to the correct cubbies at daycare".

I can barely get it together enough to pack a lunch every day. In fact once Megan is a little bit older she will likely be taking those prepacked Whole Foods kid lunches more often than not, just so I don't have to get all organized every night and spread nut butter on bread. Then cut into small pieces. Then scoop yogurt into a small container. Then chop olives and cheese for another small container. Then wash grapes/tomatoes/random small produce and put them into yet another small container. Until today, my excuse for this complete lack of creativity and complete task-resentment has been "boo hoo, poor me, I have to work full time, of COURSE there's no way I could cook or bake or craft!"

And this mother has the nerve to be SOOOO organized that 12 full days before Halloween she just MUST put excess packaging and sugar (which I ate to save Megan's teeth because I am that good of a mom) and charming crafting out on display for all of us to see and take home? Next I'll find out that she cleans her bathroom and does it with a smile on her face.

I pity poor Aiden-of-2030 already. No future spouse of his will EVER come CLOSE to putting in the effort on his behalf that his mother did for him today.