January 2012

Winters in Memphis are WAY better than summers for a toddler.  Playgrounds are fun even when bundled in jackets and hats -- and this winter has been mild enough so far that often all we need is a sweater.  On weekends we go exploring new playgrounds -- an hour or so in the fresh air, climbing and running and sliding and swinging, is all E needs to have a fabulous day.  The Zoo is super fun in the winter -- the animals are active and the playground there is our favorite so far.  Tons of kids makes it that much more fun. And having lunch there too is a special "picnic" treat.  Evey and I took a solo trip there on a mild day (no jackets required!) and she basically ran/walked the whole morning on her own.  That's new -- she typically wants to be carried after just a short stretch, but at the Zoo all she wanted to do was go go go on her own.  Her nap that day was epic (!).  Tag had the same experience when he took her there one afternoon (I was off on a business trip) and they had an absolute ball -- collapsing in happy exhaustion at the end of the day.


Evelyn is now sleeping each night upstairs in her own bedroom.  After we got back from our Michigan trip, we instituted the new routine.  She loved the idea of her Big Girl Bed and loved climbing in and out of it, and even snuggling down into it, but as soon as we made to leave, it was sheer panic and confusion.  She did not understand, no matter how I explained, why this new set up made any sense at all.  "...Noooo...Mamma's bed!  Mamma's bed!..."  Broke my heart into a thousand pieces because I didn't fully understand it either and all I wanted to do was curl up with her in her soft little bed.  But instead I bit my lip and cried softly so she wouldn't know and stroked her head and patted her back until she fitfully fell asleep.  She woke up about every 2 hours, so I ended up sleeping on the floor next to her so I could quickly reassure her that she wasn't alone and could quickly fall back to sleep.  It was a rough two weeks.  But gradually, she became more comfortable, and when I left for a trip Tag reported success with 9 and 10 hour sleep patterns. Phew!!  I think we're out of the woods now.  We have a routine: Pajamas on and head upstairs to brush teeth (she loves "Evey's Bathroom" and climbing up onto the pretty step-stool that Aunt Claudia gave her), snuggle together into her bed and read a couple books, music on and lights out with mamma or poppa sitting in the chair until she falls asleep...It's a gentle routine and Tag and I enjoy it.  I miss her snuggling up next to me at night...but she really probably does get a better nights rest on her own...and so do I.


Vocabulary is exploding.  I love her unique pronunciations and the fact that only Tag and I (and her teachers) understand what she's saying.  Had fun teaching her to say Pineapple and Chiropractor.  She knows a bunch of songs now and can pretty well rattle them off (in Evey speak, of course).  "Dora" is one of her new favorite shows (ugh...I miss Sesame Street) and it's very interactive; she's always hollering back responses at the TV -- too cute.  I will miss this stage.


Oma & Opa pitch in Big Time when I'm traveling, and Evey loves her special trips to their house.  She and I dropped by their house the other afternoon. As I was gathering up stuff to head back home Evey looked over at me, busy with something in Oma's kitchen, "No mamma, Oma's house."  So I glanced at my parents and they shrugged their shoulders and chuckled.  "I'll bring her back over after a while" Opa said.  So I left, not sure if Evey really understood that I would leave without her, saying "Bye Evey - momma's going home."
"Bye Mamma!!" was the response I got, without her even turning her head!  Growing up too darn quick, that's what that is.

I love toddlers.  Yeah, they're opinionated and they struggle with emotions a bit (especially when hungry/tired), but so do most of us.  And toddlers are way more fun than a lot of adults.  Especially E.