Quality Time With My Shower Buddy

So FlyLady has indeed made an impact on my life. Day #1 flooded my kitchen. Now we're in Day #3. So in addition to keeping a shiny sink, now we're getting dressed! Woot. It's so easy to just hang out in my PJs all day, I mean, I'm not going anywhere most days, why dirty up more laundry! Ha. So you're supposed to get dressed completely - even shoes and makeup. Okay, I generally skimp on the makeup considering I take afternoon naps and don't need smeared foundation on my pillow cases. But for the last two days I have been trading in my PJs for real clothes. Today I even thought it'd be a good idea to get a nice shower in this morning. So during the morning PBS shows, I put up the baby gate on the stairs, put the still drying cleaning products out of reach and headed to the bathroom. I kept the door open so I could keep an "ear" on Hayden. Generally, this works. He might come in and poke on the shower curtain or stick his head in the shower, but I've learned to live with the interruptions and cold breeze. I even took the toilet paper off the roll so I didn't come out to a TP'd house.

All is going well for about 2 minutes, then I get the usual poking of the shower curtain. No biggie. This goes on for a minute or two. Then, what the? Hayden has done a flying superman dive head first into the tub, right under the shower curtain. Yes, my boy has jumped in the shower with me, fully clothed and he brought along his blanket! I quickly throw the blanket back out of the tub, but it's too late for Hayden. He's wet. So I end up taking a shower while Hayden plays in the tub. I have found the secret to avoiding the slipping and sliding hazard - just let him wear socks in the tub. Or heck, all his clothes. Argh.

So we had to quickly strip him and dry him off after I cut my shower short. Then he decides that he prefers to wear just his diaper, no clothes thank you. He has also now discovered the secret to the successful house chase. I used to be able to catch him when chasing around the couch by just changing directions and catching him when he came back around. But he's too smart for that now. I change directions and now he does too!!! Crap! Toddler vs. 8 month preggo....that's a close match. Somehow I won, and he is wearing clothes now.

So after all that, I'm ready to give up for the day - it's already 10:45. But, I need to buy some mother's day cards and mail off my Mom's mother's day gift. Remind me never to go to the UPS store with Hayden ever again. No need to relay the story, just imagine an active toddler and a store full of packing materials at eye level.

Then we head to the mall to look for a gift for Mark's mom. By this point, I really want to be at home. Hayden disapproves of being confined to the stroller. I'm looking at jewelry, trying to pick out something she'll like. I can't remember whether she prefers clip ons or pierced or both. I end up with a cute bracelet I think she'll like. The checkout girl asks, "Aw, what's wrong with him?" Haha, uh nothing, he's just a toddler who doesn't want to be shopping for jewelry. Lunch is coming up, but I decided Hayden has suffered enough so we stop at the play area in the mall for some much needed playtime. After the third "escape" from the area, I decide we're ready to leave. Time to head home for lunch.

I also love how I tell my UPS story to my Mom and her response, as usual, is something about how I need to discipline him better and he needs to learn how to behave. HE'S NOT EVEN 18 MONTHS OLD. The only words he really knows/understand/listens to are "Out" (as it get out of the room), "Yum yum" (food), Dadda, Momma, "Down" (as in come down the stairs, get down off the couch), "Bye Bye", "No" and Blanket. So with that vocabulary, how do I convey the following messages:

1. Do not run out the door of the UPS store
2. Do not run behind the counter of the UPS store
3. Do not pull out the drawers of the copy machines
4. Do not shake the stands holding up the mother's day card rack
5. Do not grab the pen while mommy is trying to fill out the address form
6. Do not grab the random papers in the store.
7. Do not try to wiggle out of mommy's arms

Also, add to that the fact that I am not really in a shape where I can hold him in my arms for an extended period of time...

Then she reminds me that I will soon have two, and then what will I do. Thanks Mom, that's the pep talk I needed. This coming from my mother who never had two children to take care of. Now's where your advice has run out. How can you tell me about two, I'm an only child. And from your stories, I was a freakin angel - perfect in public, potty trained at 12 months, never touched things I wasn't supposed to, never did anything apparently. Her only story is about me biting her ONCE. At which she smacked me across the room on reflex. Ouch, ok. I do not want to use her parenting style. I didn't feel close to her growing up, and still feel that way. So I don't think that method worked, other than creating a problem free parent life. I'll take the problems.

Okay, I think today calls for a nap!