Tag Archives: parenting

Helpful baby . . . sometimes

One thing about Alice these days that just melts our hearts is her helpful nature. She wants to be involved! She wants to be told how to help!

For example, as soon as she sees one of us start making the bed in the morning, she trots over to the pile of pillows and tries to pick them up bodily.

It’s time to make the bed?

DSC_0090I got this, you guys!

DSC_0089 DSC_0099 DSC_0088We keep her high chair in the dining area, but frequently move it to the kitchen when she eats her meals, for easier cleanup and so that I can work on cooking while she snacks/dines. As soon as I announce, “Alright Alice, I’m going to move your high chair,” she starts chanting “hachaaa, hachaa,” and helps out by grabbing any part of it that’s within her reach.

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And shoes–she loves playing with them as she exclaims “ashhh! ashhh!” And as soon as Mama says, “I’m going to put on my shoes,” Alice leaps into action.

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Wanna wear these, or these?

Not those, sweetie–today Mommy is wearing her boots.

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No problem, Mom.

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She also:

-Hands Dada his gloves and scarf when he’s suiting up to leave the house in the morning.

-Takes Dada’s keys and puts them in the drawer when he gets home.

-After we brush her teeth, she brushes our teeth. Teeth-brushing is a family affair and she is not going to let our pearly whites rot away on her watch.

Of course, sometimes she also likes to “help” pull every article of clothing out of my drawers . . .

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. . . and pull all the books off my night stand . . . and pull all her books out of the cupboard . . . and hide things in laundry baskets, trash cans, and under our rugs . . . but that’s another post for another time.

 

Yearly purging project: version 2013

For the third year running, I’ve been a-purging. The first year I made this an intentional New Years project was 2011, when I purged 111 things. It was so liberating and practical and awesome that I repeated the experience in 2012, purging 112 things. This year, though I haven’t reached 113 things, we purged a solid 76, with some hefty bags that made their way from the back closet to Salvation Army. Here’s a pile of the first wave of items:

Clothing was a big one, but I also threw away some old make up, got rid of CD’s from high school that I haven’t listened to in years, and books that I never plan on re-reading (i.e. The Jungle–most depressing book EVER).

Are any of you doing some out-with-the-old this year?

It’s a great feeling. In fact, have you ever noticed that the high of freeing yourself from possessions you don’t need is kind of similar to the high you can get from shopping? Hunh. (There’s probably some smart psychological explanation for that . . . anyone?)

I’ve been thinking it would be a really cool project to involve Alice in every January (and any future siblings of hers–yes, I have the baby crazies and want them ALL. ALL THE BABIES). The goal could be to get rid of at least as many things as they were given for Christmas, and more if possible. Teaching her that letting go is a healthy part of life is an important lesson, especially following on the heels of a holiday that has frankly become quite materialistic–and no matter how we choose to “do Christmas” in our household, some of that will inevitably leak in.

Of course, for now she can’t quite get a handle on purging given that she has just recently figured out that her hands are part of her body. But in years to come, once her motor skills are a little more established, we’ll revisit the idea.