Streakin!!!

If you are on FB you have probably seen the video of Izzy patting her belly.  She has been obsessed with her belly for quite a while now.  Each time she lifts her shirt, she grins with amazement.  When do we stop doing that?  When I look down at my belly, I cringe most days!  Sure when I was pregnant it was acceptable to pat my own belly and look happy about it, but other than that it is not socially acceptable to engage in belly patting.  This got me thinking about other childhood actions that are no longer acceptable after a certain point, and how much happier we might be if they were.  


There are some obvious advantages to being a toddler.  Sure there is the old tantrum.  Who wouldn't feel better if every few hours you just lied down on the floor and screamed, kicked, and cried until you forgot what got you started?  And lets not forget the ability to take a nap every single day!  I have been watching Izzy and there are several things I have noticed bring her lots of joy.  They are all things that are no longer appropriate for adults to do, and I wonder why?


Aside from the belly pat, Izzy's newest joyful moment is the post bath streak.  After she allows us to dry her for a few seconds, she stands up and is off to her room, butt neked!    She looks so free and happy and she shivers and runs to her room.  She almost prances to her changing table, oblivious to the cold air and any flaws in her body.  Why do we stop that?  Wouldn't our days be better if we started/ended them with an innocent streak from the bathroom:) 


And what about the determination of children?  If I failed half as much as Izzy does everyday I would sit in the fetal position and drink lots of BudLight.  Yet, she like most little ones,  just gets up and tries again.  Usually with a smile or her tongue sticking out in concentration.   I wonder where that spirit comes from.  Maybe it is the same stuff Olympic Athletes possess and they somehow hold on to it.  The rest of us let that determination fade away as we get older.


 I also think how different the world would be if we all wore our feelings and opinions on our sleeves like a toddler.  One look at a toddler and you know if they are happy, sad, frustrated, contemplative.   You also know how they feel about the actions of others around them due to the boisterous giggles of happiness or the screams of anger!  Sure there might be a lot more anger and meaness in the open if we all acted this way, but wouldn't the honesty be refreshing?  Toddlers don't know how to "fake" it. They are just who they are and the feel what they feel.


Finally, there is the adventure of meal time.  Sure it is gross, but wouldn't it be great if you could just get rid of half chewed food becuase you changed your mind?  All the picky eaters of the world would agree with me.  There is nothing worse than taking a big bite of something and 5 seconds later realizing it is the most disgusting thing you have ever put in your mouth.  The situation is usually made ever worse by the lack of a paper napkin to "spit" the food into.  What if we all had a bib with a pocket and we just opened our mouth and let the yucky food fall into the pocket?  Would make life so much easier for the picky people!  Izzy's face when she spits out food is priceless.  She gets this mischievous grin.  Already she knows it isn't okay to do it, but out the food comes anyway!   I know that it has lots to do with manners and etiquette, but why do we loose all the joy in the simple things we do?  Why don't we find happiness in being a little mischievous?  I am going to try and be more joyful and mischievous in my life.  After all, it is a very short prance from my bathroom to my room!

And The Oscar Goes To.....

I really do hate awards shows.  I don't have the patience for them.  But all this talk about the Oscars got me thinking about the small moments in our lives as parents.  There are a thousand times a day when I tell Izzy "No"or "Wait a minute", or "Not now".  Inevitably, that results in an out-poked lip, tears, whining, and unpleasantness.  And although I see that face frequently, that is not the face I see in my mind's eye when I think of my daughter.  


The face I see is the "My Mom/Dad is the Greatest Person In The World" face.  The first time I saw the look, my neighbor and I were taking our kids for a walk in the wagon.  We were both signing "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" as we pulled them down the street.  While my neighbor and I looked like total idiots to other passing by in their cars, both our kids had this glow in their eyes.  They were totally focused on us and our silliness.  They thought we were the coolest people in the world! 


Now that I know the look, I see it more often.  Sometimes it is when I stop in the middle of folding a load of laundry to read the book Izzy carried across the room.  Today, I saw it when I plopped down on the floor and played peek-a-boo in the middle of Izzy's room.  I see it every time I sing "You Are My Sunshine".  It doesn't take much to get the look.  Some days, Shawn gets it just by walking in the door at the end of the day.  It is always on her face when Daddy puts her on his shoulders.  All kids have the look.  I saw it on Izzy's friend today as his parents saddled him up for his first ride on his daddy's bike.  Another friend's daughter had it as her daddy back-packed her to the park yesterday.  At a birthday party last weekend I saw it as we sang Happy Birthday.  That birthday girl knew her parents were the coolest!  


I know that as Izzy gets older, I will see that look more and more.  I think it is such a gift that for a little while, we get to be their super heros.  In their eyes, no one could be faster, smarter, funnier, or better.  I know that at a certain point she will start to realize that mommy doesn't have the prettiest voice, that comic books are dorky,  and that her friend's parents are way cooler than Shawn and I could ever dream of being.  I just hope that by that time, we have done our job as parents well enough that despite her discovery of these realities, every once in a while we get a glimpse of the "The My Mom/Dad is the Greatest Person in The World" every once in a while.

Sink Epiphany

I read in a magazine, that we as mothers feel responsible for the bond our husbands and children share.  I know that I for one fall into that category.  I constantly worry that due to his work schedule, Izzy will not see her daddy as an equal partner in our parenting.  I encourage (nag, shame, order) my husband to spend time with our daughter anytime he can.  Don't get me wrong, he is a fantastic daddy.  He loves our daughter and enjoys being with her and taking care of her.  He just has so many other things on his mind and his "to do" list, that sometimes I feel responsible for encouraging him to spend time with her.

All that being said, last night after dinner, I told him to leave the kitchen and come play with his daughter.  They played and read books, and I started the kitchen.  As I listened to them play, my husband would tell me things he was noticing her do.  "You know she is walking much better", "She really loves the dogs", and other comments like that.  Of course, my answer was "Yeah, I know" or "She has been doing that a while".  I really gave no more thought to it than that.

As bedtime approached, he gathered her pacifiers and told Izzy to get her new lovey Tiny (a sock monkey).  Daddy and daughter (carry the monkey by the tail) headed up to stairs.  When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Izzy handed her monkey to her Daddy.  He called over his shoulder "She just gave me Tiny to carry so she can concentrate on the stairs".   I responded quickly and without much thought "She does that every time we go upstairs now!"  I heard him mumble a response and up they went.

In that moment I had a sudsy epiphany.  I need to let him make some discoveries about and with our daughter.  I am so worried about him spending time with her and having a good relationship, that I forget the little things that make all the fussing and crying worthwhile.  He not only misses out the fussing and crying during the day, but he misses out on her new habits and skills and tricks.  I sometimes need to share in his discoveries of her.  It is those little moments that help Izzy and I to know each other, and I am realizing it is a simple way I can help them continue to have a great relationship.