Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Mom vs. Parent

There's being a mom.  And then there's being a parent.

In my eyes, these two words can mean totally different things.

The word mom brings to mind hugs, and kisses, and tears of joy, and loving so much it hurts.  And every morning feeling like Christmas.

The word parent brings to mind tantrums, and patience, and discipline, and deep breaths.

And time-outs.

Yep, the Peeles have officially entered the world of time-outs.  The corner has been designated.  And a plan has been put into place about when we'll put her in time-out (repeated offenses, hitting/biting, doing things that are unsafe) and for how long she'll stay there (per the pediatrician, a minute for each year of age - so 60 seconds it is).

I can tell you that, as a MOM, one minute is a long time to listen to your 16-month-old cry in the corner.  But as a parent who just got hit in the face with a dog bowl full of food flying across the room... that one minute is not quite long enough. :)

It goes without saying that we've had some challenging, terrible-two's moments lately (and in case you're confused, the terrible twos start much earlier than the age of two).  And after observing Cameron and realizing that the sly little smile and mischievous grin on her face do in fact mean she knows you're telling her not to do something, and she's doing it anyway - the time-outs began.

Right now, there are two factors that make disciplining her tough.  I know this is just the beginning of some trying toddler times, but because my time with her is so limited as a full-time working mom, I hate having to say "no" so often, and I really don't want our time together to constantly be a battle of wills.  The second reason it's tough is because I find it nearly impossible to keep from bursting at the seams with laughter, because she really is so darn cute when she's testing the limits and throwing tantrums and jumping up and down on the ottoman saying, "no, no, no!".

But I'm sure I'll get over that quickly.

The good news is, she does fairly well with time-outs and has (so far) stayed in the corner for the entire sixty seconds.  As a parent, it is nice to see the beginning of her respecting us and trusting us even in a not-so-fun moment.

While I knew raising a child was far from easy, this parenting thing is no joke!  I thought the days were tough when I had a constantly nursing, non-napping, up-all-night infant.  But toddlerhood is an entirely different animal, one who requires more patience than I'll ever have.  And I'm not naïve - I know this is just the beginning of learning how to be a "parent" during the difficult times (it's SO easy to be a "mom" during the fun times!).  Because, as much as I'd like to avoid it, I'm going to have a teenage daughter one day.  And obviously I used to be one, so I know how that goes.

And also, I'd like to take this moment to apologize to all the moms out there who I've ever given the side-eye to as their child threw a tantrum in the middle of Food Lion.  As of last weekend, I now carry an arsenal of cookies, suckers, snack cups, sippies, toys, and new iPhone apps just to get to the end of my grocery list.  And we inevitably end up opening up a package of SOMETHING in the cart before it's been purchased because oh-no-she-spotted-the-cookies-and-if-I-don't-give-her-one-she'll-scream-and-WHERE-IS-THE-ALCOHOL-AISLE.

Dear God, I appreciate the opportunity to be a mom, it's the best job in the world, and I promise not to take a minute for granted - But PLEASE give me the patience to get through the toddler years.  Amen.
Case in point.  T and I were cleaning up the house, and realized it was too quiet.  We found her with her fishing pole, in the toilet.  Don't worry, there was nothing to fish for.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Random Ramblings from my Brain

I was inspired by my friend Amanda’s awesome blog to write the following random ramblings from my brain… Enjoy!

Loving - these new Toms I ordered, thanks to seeing my sister-in-law look SO cute in them last weekend.  I've seen them paired with skinny jeans, wide leg jeans, and even dresses/skirts, and they look SO cute.  I REALLY wanted the taupe color, but they're apparently sold out everywhere.  I somehow magically stumbled upon the only 7.5's on the internet in chestnut and scooped them up.  I hope I can pull them off as well as my sister-in-law!

Reading - "Good Grief" and a couple other things thanks to my father-in-law, who I reached out to for some help.  Thanks Dr. Rev!

Waiting for - my body to get itself in gear.  Things have been all sorts of crazy since my procedure in December.  On a more positive note, I'm also waiting for this adorable maxi skirt I ordered for myself to come in the mail!  (Obviously I've been using a little retail therapy to cheer me up lately... shhh...)

Excited about - changes for our family's current working/living situation.  Nothing is even really planned yet, so I'm trying not to count my chickens before they hatch.  But I'm just excited about the possibility of change.  I'm that person who LOVES change, and feels REFRESHED by change.  So bring it on.

Trying to - read more before bed.  I usually fall asleep on the couch every night, cuddling with T and watching television.  Then I brush my teeth and pretty much sleep-walk into bed and crash.  However, on the nights that I get in bed a little earlier and read, I feel like I'm giving the day more closure.

Working on - running a little less, eating a little more, and relaxing, per the doctor's orders.

Enjoying - watching The Bachelor.  Who doesn't love some mindless reality tv?  Oh, and also, someone stole my sparkle.

Using - the crockpot I got for Christmas, every week.  Along with recipes from Pinterest.  (What did I do before Pinterest?!)

Wearing - my hair in a messy ball on the top of my head, all the time.  It's my version of "weekend" or "lazy" hair.  The first time I wore it to work like that (because I was running late) I got so many compliments I decided to let it be my go-to hairstyle on rushed mornings.  So easy!

Planning - an overnight getaway with one of my best friends!  It'll be the FIRST time I'll be away from CK overnight.  (Crazy, I know, but it's not like I've been turning trips down... I just haven't had anything come up!).  I'm honestly so excited to get away from everything with one of my favorite people while we shop, eat, drink, and be merry!

Singing - the songs from a kids' Bible CD that my in-laws gave CK.  She LOVES the CD, and that means the songs run on repeat in my head all.day.long.

Needing - some good ol' quality time with my little girl.  T is about to be out of town on two separate occasions, and while I know we'll miss him like crazy and it'll make for some long days acting as a single parent, I am honestly looking forward to having some one-on-one time with my bug.

Learning - how to be firm and discipline a toddler.  Post about that to come soon.

Listening to - other than the Bible CDs, I'm all about some country music these days.  One of my most favorites right now is "Every Storm Runs Out of Rain" by Gary Allan.

Wishing - I could find some time to get a haircut.  And a pedicure.  And also maybe that I could just have a tiny glimpse into the future to know everything is going to be okay.  Is that too much to ask? :)

Doing - a lot of brainstorming and planning for my little sister, who will be a BRIDE later this year.  Yippeeeeee!!!!

Dreaming of – the summer, when I’ll have day after day to spend my time fully focused on being a mama and wife. :)

Happy Friday!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Happy Birthday Grammy!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful mother-in-law and amazing Grammy!  We love you and hope you feel special today and always!!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Think He'll Say Yes?


By the way, I was attempting to re-create last year's photo shoot - Love this side-by-side comparison:
Happy Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Happy Birthday to My Very Best Friend!

He's seen me at my worst - which is pretty scary - and he still chooses me.  To spend this life by my side.  To squeeze my hand three times to let me know he loves me.  To put my vitamin beside my cup of water every night.  To kiss me before I leave in the morning and as soon as he gets home at night.  To be my very best friend.

Happy Birthday to an amazing man, to the most incredible father I've ever known, to the love of my life, to my soul mate.  YAWILFT

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Neglected

This poor blog has been a little neglected lately, mostly because I'm in this rhythm of life where I can't seem to come up for air.  Any full-time working mom knows that every second you're NOT working, you're simultaneously trying to clean, exercise, do laundry, plan meals, grocery shop, get ready for the next holiday, be a wife, spend time with loved ones, breathe, bathe, oh - and most importantly - soak up EVERY second you have with your kid.

A kid who, the minute you turn your back, does this:

Honest to God she pulled her car over to the table, climbed on top, and went right for the candy bowl.  (And in case you're interested, she chose a dum dum.  Who chooses a dum dum?!)

So anyway, all of this is to say that life's kicking my butt right now and I'm struggling to find balance and time to exhale and enough hours in the day to be the kind of person, wife, friend, and mama I want to be.

Whew.