Big Boy Bed and Dreamlights

    Just this week my little Bear hit a new milestone.  He moved into his new big boy toddler bed.  I didn't cry while I took down his crib but I was nostalgic.  Remembering when I often watched him sleep when he was brand new.  How amused he was with his mobile in the beginning.  The first time we walked into his room to discover him standing up, smiling.
    Bear was very excited about this new development.  Especially because it means he now had his very own pillow.  Very exciting stuff when you are a toddler.  The first night he jumped into his new bed before I could pick him up and sing to him.  And he didn't want me to when I asked him (now that almost made me cry lol).  He stayed in bed all night.  No pitter patter of little feet on the floor were heard.
   Bear has been skipping naps for awhile now so I have instituted "Quiet Time", so for an hour and a half everyday around naptime, Bear is to play quietly in his room.  Too bad the quiet part is lost on Bear.  But at least he seems to know at bedtime he is to stay in his bed.  Two nights in a row now, keeping my fingers crossed.
   We had to move things around in his room to accommodate the new bed.  Which means we had to move the Thomas nightlight to another wall, and it no longer seems adequate, as it is blocked in by some furniture.  The little critter shaped one we got him at IKEA awhile ago is a little bright.  I'm a bzzagent and today's daily bzz campaign is for Dreamlights.    It is 6 solar powered LED lights that dance and float in a jar, like fireflies.  It says it is very easy to recharge in a sunny spot.  I would love to give one of these a try, as a couple of Bear's favourite shows have had episodes dealing with fireflies and he had so hoped to see some at camp this summer.  This might be the answer to our nightlight problem, and they look beautiful. I love how one website has advertised them as "soothing cruelty free lights!"  Perhaps we shall be given a chance to try one out!

Betrayal!

  As parents I think we sometimes fail to see the bonds our kids create with their silent, stuffed friends.  My Bear has had a stuffed seahorse that plays lullabyes since he was 6 months old.  It has been dropped so many times it doesn't play properly anymore.  Bear chewed open one of the fins on it's back while teething.  As tattered as it is, Bear refuses to sleep without it.
  We recently took a trip to Belleville to visit our family.  Packing seahorse was on my last minute list of things to do.  And at the very last minute, I forgot to do just that.  So you can imagine my panic and Bear's sorrow when bedtime at his grandparents arrived and there was no familiar face in his pack-and-play.  I apologized profusely, I felt TERRIBLE.  Cousins to the rescue.  His awesome cousins piled stuffed toy after stuffed toy of there own in with Bear.  After snuffling and sniffling for awhile, he finally gave in to sleep.
   Daddy came up later that week to join us and thoughtfully brought along seahorse.  One would think Bear would be overjoyed to see his bedtime companion.  Nope.  He started crying, and screeching at her, pushing her away and even throwing her to the floor.  What was being witnessed?  Betrayal.  How dare seahorse show up and try to save the day after he had been without her practically all week.  While the adults were on a soother-finding mission, Bear finally forgave seahorse and curled up, hugging it tightly.

   I won't lie.  I was amazed at Bear's display of emotions.  And I will NEVER forget seahorse again.

THAT Mom

   For years I dreamed about how, when I had children, I would be THAT Mom.  The one who played and set up lots of activities and crafts.  Who would sing all day and make stories and bake loads of goodies.  Who would smile and would never run out of patience.  Who would know just what to do.
Imagine my surprise when I realized that I am not THAT Mom.  I like to create stories but my little Bear isn't old enough to play into them yet.  I get bored of doing the same thing over and over again although my dear one obviously delights in it.  I often don't find the time to bake goodies.  And where was that unending fountain of patience which I was to draw upon? What happened to all my finely laid plans?
   I took Bear "camping" for a few days.  Which means we stayed in a nice, cushy RV with satellite tv, running water (no hot water though), BBQ and other amenities.  My focus was to try and understand Bear better.  He knows how to push my buttons and since turning two has taken it upon himself to be a model toddler and throw some wicked tantrums.  The one thing that drives me nuts more than anything is that when we go out without the stroller, because Bear likes to walk and ride in carts, that walking with the Bear is like dragging along a large tuna fish, flopping and flapping out of water. He also thinks that he need not hold hands.  I figured that I could slow things down and get a handle on the issue.
We still had our blow ups.  I am ashamed that I sometimes yell, snip or even bargain with him.  But I also found ways to deal with him.  The walking greatly improved if I constantly kept up a stream of chatter or singing with him.  When he throws a fit I have to repeat myself calmly until he calms down.  We both need to be "gentle" with each other.
I also broke a bunch of my parenting rules.  Some I won't mention because my friends and family might disown me.  His uncle filled him up with freezies.  At the beach, he wore his life jacket and while I caught fish for him I often turned my back on him while he was in the water.  He let me know if he needed help and if I heard a splash I always turned around.  We had the tv on a lot while indoors.  While I was getting cleaned up and packed to go home I put him out front of the trailer to play, looking out the patio doors every few minutes.

  The most important thing I learned on our mini vacation is that my son is very much like me.  He is independent, willful and just a bit dramatic and stubborn.  Perhaps this is why we butt heads.  We had a great time and learned from each other.  So while I may not be THAT Mom, I am something much more wonderful.  I am BEAR'S Mom and that makes me very happy.  Can't wait to go back to camp!