Back on the saddle...

I find it ironic that the last post on this blog was a rant about my work-life balance (or lack of balance) and then I disappeared for over a year. I guess that proves my point.

Well I'm back. At least for now. No promises.

We have transitioned from our cute little cuddly baby into Toddlerhood. Goomba is walking, running, talking, yelling, throwing food, throwing toys, throwing herself on the ground and having complete Toddler sized meltdowns. We try to minimize these meltdowns as much as possible but I'm thoroughly convinced that I'm raising an alien from another planet. No amount of logic or reasoning calms a toddler. Sometimes you just have to hand over the entire box of Cheerios and walk away, knowing that the mess will be much easier to clean up than the hysterical meltdown of your lunatic child. I know this is not a long term solution but as I frantically search for the "right" solution, this method is keeping me somewhat sane. On the flipside, Goomba is sweet, cuddly, gives kisses and hugs often without being asked and she amazes me everyday. She is not speaking in sentences yet but the things she says and does crack me up. I know we will survive these toddler years and in the end they will seem like they flew by in a flash.

At this point Goomba is showing interest in the toilet. I realize that potty training at 18 months is not entirely out of the question but it is a little early for most kids. Since she is in fact interested in the toilet I decided that I would test it out and put her on the toi toi whenever she asks. Which is all the time. And usually at the most inconvenient times, like when you are trying to get out of the house for work in the morning and she has already sat on the pot 3 times in the hour that she's been awake and she is now fully dressed, shoes on, coat on, the whole nine, and she wants to sit on the toilet. Again. Do I tell my little eager beaver no? Of course not. So we strip down, grab her Elmo potty seat, climb on the toilet and sit. And sit. And sit some more. 10 seconds later she gives me her cutest "all-done" hands and climbs down and continues with the routine of closing the lid, flushing and getting redressed. At what point do you decide to forego the games and just commit to potty training?

In desperate need of some "How the hell do you raise a toddler" advice, I have downloaded any and all self-help books I can find on iBooks or Kindle. The problem is, with a toddler there is absolutely NO TIME to read the damn books!

** Baby G will now be referred to as Goomba. I find this appropriate for a few reasons. "Goomba" has been a nickname that my mom has used to refer to the children in our family for years, even before Baby G was born. Goomba is also the little mushroom creature with bushy eyebrows and fangs from Super Mario Bro. that wander aimlessly around and upon seeing Mario, attempt to crash into him. Very strong resemblance to Baby G here. Goomba is also known as an Italian friend of the Mafia. Again, very strong resemblance in the sneaky little stinker department.