kt moxie

Ok.  I've been pretty silly on this blog lately.  Probably because I've been so busy in real life.  With work, Amelia, weddings, and moving, my plate has been overflowing.

Fortunately, John and I still were able to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary on Tuesday with a romantic dinner.  And I'm feeling a little sentimental.  

We are really proud of the life we have built together, and I'm just *trying* to take a brief moment to enjoy it.  We have a loving family, beautiful precocious daughter, wonderful, fun, trusting friends, and are financial stable - heck, we even have money in the bank.  We are moving into a great house where we are going to make lots of great memories, and we have already made lots of great memories in our first home.

I also think we've done pretty well with our marriage.  We seem to make everything work, even when we don't agree.  We love each other, and I can't imagine being without him.  Ok.  I'm done being sappy.  Here's someone else's sap about marriage that I think is pretty good.

The Art Of A Good Marriage

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.

A good marriage must be created.

In marriage the little things are the big things.

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;

the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

~Wilferd A. Peterson

You have to watch this fun video clip called Pimp my Stroller!  You'll need your sound on to get the full effect.

Ok.  I don't want to hear anyone talking about Harry Potter anymore!  If you think this is a post about the media hype - you'd be wrong.  Actually, I'm jealous.  How dare you people be able to sit down and read a novel?  And finish it, too?  I haven't been able to do that in... oh - let me see - 28 months.  That would be the age of my daughter (19 months), plus 9 months.

My jealous and anger struck me last night as I was packing my nightstand.  We are moving soon (as soon as our builders give us a date - darn it!), so I needed to clear it out, dust and all.  My nightstand is full of books that I have not read.  The 4th and 5th Harry Potter.  Some Neil Stephenson.  A bit of Amy Tan and Marge Piercy.  And a sprinkle of Mark Twain and Alex Haley for culture. There's more, but it's just too sad to think about.

I've had some grand plans.  I thought pregnancy would force me to slow down, and so I'd enjoy a few more books.  Ha!  Little did I know that my body needed 14 hours of sleep per day for gestation!  Then, I'd have all that extra time while on maternity leave.  Hmmm... reading with sleep deprivation and a baby that needs feedings every few hours works well, too.

Now I'm on "toddler time."  After I pick up from daycare, it's Amelia time - dinner, play, play, play, clean-up, bedtime.   Now it's 9:30 - and I still haven't gotten anything done!  Then, John and I quickly try to accomplish something - anything! Let alone spend some "quality time" together.

So, I look forward to enjoying my books again.  In the meantime - bah humbug!  No more talking about Harry!  I don't want to hear about him growing up without me!

Amelia is starting in her new daycare on Monday.  This is because Weezie - her current daycare provider - is taking a two week vacation, so Amelia is going to her new daycare for two weeks, then back to Weezie's for a month, then back to the new daycare in September.  Not ideal, but oh well. 

So, I've had to write up "instructions" for the new daycare.  Yes, I think I've found "the best of the best", but they don't know my Amelia.  ;)

For your amusement, here's my notes to the new daycare...

Amelia – notes

• 19 months in July 2005
• The other kids can call her “Mia” if they have trouble saying Amelia.
• We had a nice “partnership” of raising Amelia with our last daycare and would love to continue that! Please keep an open and ongoing conversation with both John and I (Kristen) about concerns, new developments, behaviors, etc!

Usual Schedule:

• She ate breakfast at her last daycare between 8:00-8:30am. 
• Lunch 12-1
• One nap a day – approx. 2 hours from 1-3pm (sometimes shorter or longer).
• She can have her pacifier at naptime, or if she is upset, but put it in a place she cannot see it at other times.
• She often wakes herself about 1 hour into her nap. Ignoring this is usually the best approach, and she will go back to sleep on her own.

Eating:

• Amelia will eat just about anything. Loves fruits and most vegetables.
• She can use a toddler or small fork and spoon.
• She usually drinks whole milk from a sippy cup, and other drinks (sugar free, or watered down) from a covered cup with a straw.
• She likes to sit at a kid’s table to eat (she does this at home), but can also sit in a high chair if needed (she does this at her old daycare). She will need to be reminded to sit down to eat if she is sitting at a table.

Language & Communication:

• Amelia can understand and follow almost all instructions from adults. She can help clean up at the end of the day if this is part of the normal routine.
• She still prefers to communicate through pointing, gestures, head nods and shakes, but she does have many words. Shoes, again, kitty, doggy, done, daddy, mama, apple, fish, and ball are favorites.

Behavior:

• The “Good”: Amelia loves to observe other kids, and will love to watch the other, especially older, kids play. She is very good at playing independently as well. She also loves music, and will love to interact with any toy or game that is musical.
• The “Bad”: Amelia is strong willed, and will make it quite clear when she does or does not like something, wants something, or is frustrated by one of the other kid’s actions. We’ve found that re-directing her works quite well. Also, if she is not following directions, taking something away she wants and repeating the directions (telling her she’ll get it back when she starts doing whatever it is), seems to work well. If she gets very upset, she has a very hard time calming herself down. The pacifier is helpful. Holding her in a calm space is good as well.
• The “Ugly”: Amelia loves to take her barrettes out and shoes off! We just try to keep some available, and keep putting barrettes back in her hair. She knows she cannot go outside without her shoes (and she loves to go outside).

Interests:

• Dancing/music: Anything with a beat will get this little girl going.
• Wiggles: Avid fan! If you ever play videos, this will make her a dancing fiend!
• Other TV: Dora, Blues Clues
• Toys: Carts, strollers, anything to push around. Balls. Puzzles.
• Animals: She loves dogs, cats, and fish. She will want to pet any animals she sees.

Warning:  parent gloating to ensue.  

Time to talk about the little monster!  Yes, she is daddy's little girl.  But, I don't mind.   Here she is in daddy's lap - AKA "the best seat in the house."  View more pictures of Amelia playing with daddy and his Piston's hat! (login required)

Her vocabulary is increasing every day, even though she still prefers to communicate through pointing and head nods and shakes.  Mama, daddy, apple, puppy, kitty, shoes, again, done and bump are few of her favorite words.  We are desperately trying to get her to say "please" - but this seems to be a point of contention...

Amelia is one precocious toddler.  She has recently wanted to sit at the table without her booster seat - "like a big girl."  So, now we spend most of dinner saying "sit down, Amelia." 

My first middle of the night post!  Ah, I'm already feeling one with the blog.  I've added photo album section - but you'll still have to login to the Kodak (formerly ofoto) site to see any adorable pictures of Amelia.  So, I know who you are!

For those of you without young children (or haven't been near Amelia, John or I), The Wiggles are an Australian children's band.  They are four men - Greg, Anthony, Murray and Jeff - who are taking the world's children (and their parents) by storm! 

Amelia showed an interest in music and dancing at 6 months old, so when I found out about The Wiggles, I purchased one of their DVDs.  The rest is - hoop-dee-doo - wiggly history!  I now have Wiggles songs on the brain 24-7.  A favorite - of course - being Fruit Salad (yummy, yummy!).

Now, The Wiggles are no Barney.  Or Sponge Bob.  They actually are high quality children's entertainment - they are true musicians who love and understand children.  They dance, play and sing at children's level - not down to them.  Think the American entertainment industry would have initially financially backed four male children's musicians?  Disney only picked them up after they had successful international tours.  BTW - they just became the wealthiest Australian entertainers - beating out Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.

Instead, Disney invents The Doodlebops.  Ick.

Well, since I "blamed" the Wiggles for starting this blog, I thought they deserved my first "real" post.  Oh, and guess what our first "real" concert is since Amelia's birth?  Yes!  The Wiggles live at the Palace in August.  Can't wait.