Occupational Hazard of Parenting #1 - You're not as smart as you think you are

Through all of my education, I was on the brighter side when compared to a lot of kids.  I had some honors classes here and there, and for the most part, made honor rolls, Dean's Lists, etc etc.  I didn't graduate college with honors, but looking back, I probably should have done so if I had exerted even a bit more effort.  Anyway, the point is, I'm a relatively intelligent person in comparison to most of the population...or so I thought.

The other day, KT started talking about caterpillars and butterflies.  I figured that it was because we have been reading "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" nightly.  I purchased that book for BG, well it came with butterfly shoes that I felt she NEEDED to have, since they had butterflies on them.  KT still thinks that everything in the house is hers, and BG is too young to care, and I figure by the time she does care, KT will be over the book.  Anyway, KT said, "The caterpillar goes into his criss-uh-liss and then he turns into a butterfly."  I responded, "huh?"  She said it again....  I chuckled, "Haha...I think you mean cocoon."  She said, "Ya, but it's a criss-uh-liss."  Since I was not interested in debating with her, I agreed.  Even when she's dead wrong, there's no debating with her anyway.

I almost made this "KT statement" my status update on facebook...or contemplated posting it on KT's Twitter account.  I like to use both forms of social media to share with others the craziness that we get to hear every day from KT, but also as a way to document it for myself.  (Incidentally, KT can be found on Twitter at @k8e_kay).  I thought that it was funny that she came up with this "criss-uh-liss" word when trying to say "cocoon."

Fast forward to this morning (probably close to a week later), I was listening to the morning news as I straightened my hair.  They talked about a butterfly exhibit in Hershey that is opening this weekend.   They had a representative from the facility who explained the butterfly's life cycle.   I heard,  "blah blah blah 2-3 week life expectancy as a butterfly....blah blah blah... chrysalis"   

My jaw hit the counter.   Of course, chrysalis.   She wasn't making up a word for cocoon.....it actually WAS a word.   Now where the hell did she learn it?   

Welcome to my world.... 1 block away from insanity.

I've had several blogs over the years and really find that blogging is a therapeutic ritual that is good for getting out some of those feelings you may or may not otherwise verbally express, and it's a great way to document occasions/events/etc of one's life.  It turns out that when I had all of the time in the world to blog, and did so frequently, I had the tendency to write (very wordy, drawn out) blogs that really weren't noteworthy at all, quite frankly.  Nowadays, I've got and overabundant amount to report/document and I have no time to do it.  I'm planning to make a point to at least dedicate some time to this each week, with hopes that I can at least have something to chuckle about in a few years, when my head finally comes to the surface, and my kids can feed, bathe and do things for themselves.  No doubt, that even though some days, I long for all of that to happen, so I can just sit myself down, have a beer and talk to my friends.............. when it does happen, I'm sure that I'll miss this crazytown.

I have 2 daughters.  KT is almost 3 1/2 and is my wild child.  She has been my little love from the second she was born and is probably the funniest person that I know.  She's downright crazy with some of the things that run through her little mind.   She's definitely pretty witty and has learned that there's not much better in the world than to make someone laugh.  She's known for her love of music; her favorite songs now are:

• "Moves Like Jack" - Maroon 5
• "A teeka too"  - Saving Abel (Addicted)
• "All the Single Ladies" - Beyonce
• "Poker Face" - Gaga
• "Green Tractor" - Jason Aldean
• "It's a Sunshine Day" - Brady Bunch
• "Washing my Blues Away" - Zac Brown Band (not sure what the name of this song actually is)
• Virtually any Imagination Movers song (but right now, we're stuck on "rock-o-matic").

The thing that stands out with KT even more than her musical interests, is her fashion sense.   This kid is either going to be the next top model, or a tragic mess of a person.   She's not happy unless she's in fancy shoes, a dress (if it's warm enough outside), or a tutu/leggings combo.   While she's at home, most often, you can see her in a "night ground."  I don't think she realizes that nightgowns are for sleeping, since most nights she'll change out of the nightgown to put on pj's when it's actually bedtime.

She has been, so far, a creature of habit.   Routines are best for KT....certain plates for certain foods, certain cups, certain tv shows, books before bed, etc etc etc....  Maybe a little OCD, but I'm a creature of habit too, so perhaps that's where it originates.   

When she's not changing clothes 10 times an evening or dancing to music, KT can usually be found talking to one of her imaginary friends.  Sometimes, her friends are fictional characters, like Ariel or the Imagination Movers, etc etc.....  Other times, they're just plain old made up.  I don't even know where she gets some of their names/stories.   A few weeks ago, a "shark girl" was on our swing set.   We had to play with her and hug her b/c she was sad.  Her mother was dead.  How does a 3 year old even say these things?   She surely doesn't grasp this concept at all.  Last night, she was playing with her pet rockfish (it's a rock painted like a fish, that she got from our neighbors).  She asked me if I liked her Rockfish, that can't swim because he has no tail.  I said that I liked him and she said, "well you can't have it b/c it's my sister's rockfish.  His name is Rocky."  I asked what her sister's name was and she said, "Ta-wawa."   Typical.

When I was pregnant, we asked KT what we should name the baby.   Without thought, she said "Butterfly Green."  From that moment on, the baby was known as BG.  Even though her name does not have those initials (even though I tried), she's pretty much still known as BG, at least when I type.  BG was born on the day of the "100 year flood" in September 2011.  She's almost 9 months old now, but it was ever so fitting that she was born in such a storm.   

We walked into the hospital just before 8 AM and she was born 9:29 AM in a fury.  All went well, but there were no time for drugs/epidural/pain meds, ANYTHING.  They barely got my IV in my arm.  After BG was here, I was given 3 ibuprofen and finally got my hospital bracelets.   Gee thanks for the pain killers.

To say the next few months were crazy, is an understatement.  My husband travels most days during the week for his job, so adjusting to life with a toddler and a baby was overwhelming enough.....   when you have a baby that did nothing but scream while she was awake, could not tolerate her car seat/car rides, screamed after every single bottle, could not be rocked/in a swing/consoled in any way, it's pretty intense.  I'm not completely sure how I survived it.

Fast forward a ton of anguish and almost 9 months, and you get a smiley, adorable, curly headed BG.  She's starting to army crawl and now can go from crawling to sitting and sitting to crawling.  She's had numerous setbacks and definitely has taken her sweet old time to hit her milestones.  However, she's not "behind" and we're working to overcome some of her "issues."    More that I'll get into later, because they each warrant their own blog entry.  ha.

Looking at my girls, now 3 1/2 yrs and 9 months, I can see the fun and crazy times that are in store for us.  Hopefully, this blog can reflect some of that, and add a touch of humor to the insanity we all go through as mommies and daddies.