toddlers are weird Archives

Does this count as lying to Santa?

December 16, 2011 by Farewell Stranger ·

“Have you been good this year?”

“Yes.”

[I suppose in the grand sense of the word he’s been good. Sometimes he’s very good. Sometimes he’s three.]

“Do you listen to your mommy and daddy?”

“Yes.”

[I think my kid just lied to Santa. Well, fine, it wasn’t really a fair question. He listens to daddy but does NOT listen to mommy, so I guess he didn’t know which answer to choose. Is answering ‘yes’ like rounding up?]

Overall, a very good visit with Santa. Except for the part where he tried to wipe his candy cane mouth on my sweater. (My kid, that is, not Santa.)

Filed Under: Conversations with Connor, Happy things, Motherhood · Tagged With: family, love, toddlers are weird

Are you done with this boy?

December 6, 2011 by Farewell Stranger ·

Living in a new house in a new city with no furniture and no routine and a toddler who’s getting bored is fun. Really fun.

Okay it sucks.

I think I officially ran out of patience today. And my husband is sick again, so he’s not the happiest camper either.

I tried to address the situation by taking Connor to the park today to frolic in the snow and build a snowman, but it was a spectacular failure. (Did you read The Snowman Test of Motherhood? I haven’t passed yet.) Between that, a request to “fix” his Lego monster truck 46 times, and one of those million-questions kinds of days, I had had enough by about 3 p.m.

That’s probably when I should have realized going to a restaurant across town for dinner with my mother-in-law was a bad idea. But no! We had a gift certificate and we wanted to go because it’s a place we like. Let’s just say it didn’t go so well, and that’s why my husband and I looked at each other across the table and laughed when this conversation took place:

Connor: “Dad, why did you give me ALL the croutons?”

Dad: “Because that way you’ll have them if she comes back and asks if we’re done with this bowl.”

Connor: “Did you say ‘if we’re done with this BOY‘?”

[Commence smirking.]

What? You would have found it appealing too. At least the salad bowl doesn’t poke other diners and talk in an outside voice in the middle of the restaurant.

Filed Under: Conversations with Connor, Hard things, Motherhood · Tagged With: anxiety, rants, toddlers are weird

Fall Foods: Squash & Pesto Penne

October 26, 2011 by Farewell Stranger ·

I found this recipe a couple of years ago on a group recipe blog called Bitches in the Kitchen. I’m always up for different pasta recipes and this butternut squash and pesto penne dish looked pretty good so I thought I’d give it a try.

Image credit: Morgan from Bitches in the Kitchen

One word: YUM. It’s seriously very good. And very easy to make:

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, peeled, and chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1 tbsp butter
1 cup chicken stock
2 oz (1/4 package) cream cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp pesto
salt & pepper
1 pkg penne
shaved Parmesan

Cooking instructions

Steam butternut squash until fork tender and drain. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

In a deep frying pan, sauté steamed squash cubes in butter. Mash gently with a spoon as you sauté. Add chicken stock, cream cheese, grated Parmesan, pesto, and salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Cook pasta while the sauce is coming up to a boil.

Toss warm sauce with cooked and drained pasta (add a few ladles of pasta water if the sauce is too thick) and top with shaved Parmesan. Enjoy!

The pesto gives it a really nice flavour. This is a great one for kids, too. (When our kids were younger a friend of mine said her daughter would eat anything you offered her, as long as it was noodles and cheese. Ha ha. I think we all relate to that, and this dish might just pass… And it has a vegetable in it!)

Happy fall!

Linking up with Kludgy Mom for:

Filed Under: Happy things, Randomness · Tagged With: family, toddlers are weird

On the Move: Guest Posting at Bees With Honey

October 17, 2011 by Farewell Stranger ·

There’s a very special woman out there in the Land of Online. Not just because she’s an awesome Canadian. Not just because she’s totally stunning. And not just because she’s unbelievably friendly. She is all those things, and they are a big part of who she is, but I noticed her in particular because she’s honest. (Her post from yesterday is a perfect example.) Finding someone I like and then getting a peek further into who she is ranks high up there on the list of things that make me happy.

This very special woman is Bruna from Bees With Honey.

I’m at her place today sharing a post about being the mom of a preschooler and all the art it entails. Come visit!

If you’re here from Bruna’s, welcome! Here’s some more about me:

This is Where I’m From.

This is my philosophy on life, which has gotten me into the process of a big change.

This is why I don’t think hard experiences are necessarily bad.

This is my son snoring (when he was a baby).

This is my kid now (aka toddlers are weird).

Comments closed here today. Come and chat with me at Bruna’s! (And thanks again, Bruna, for having me!)

Filed Under: Guest posts, Motherhood · Tagged With: family, love, toddlers are weird

On the Move: Hanging Out with Punky Brewster

October 14, 2011 by Farewell Stranger ·

I’ll admit it: I was a total Punky Brewster fan. She was spunky. I like spunky. Well, Punky Brewster’s back…sort of.

Soleil Moon Frye (the actress who played Punky) is now quite the social media maven. She’s also a mom (and a gorgeous one at that – I wonder if she’d trade hair with me…?) who has written a book about motherhood. It has what I consider a totally fantastic title:

“Happy Chaos.” Is that not motherhood summed up in two words?

In any case, she also has a website – a community, actually – about motherhood. And guest who’s guest posting there today?

ME!! (Holy Macanoli!)

I wrote about a problem I have. Due to an unfortunate incident last winter involving wimpy west coast snow my son thinks I don’t know how to build a snowman. Except I totally do. So yeah, this is a problem.

Come on over to Moonfrye and read The Snowman Test of Motherhood.