sumodancer

Pop

I know. I'm a horrible mother, not posting here enough. There's so much to write about, and not enough time. I have loads of pictures to go through... links to add for the videos promised weeks ago. Gah!

Today, though, I give myself a reprieve. I shall post and not feel guilty for not adding pictures with it. I shall write about the theme from Bug's birthday party, which has continued its reign in our house.

We didn't start with a theme (and who am I kidding with the "we" - this was my obsession). I wanted Bug to be surrounded by things that she loved: balloons and bubbles. After researching the importance of having a theme, I focused on the pop factor and went crazy.

There were balloons, filled with helium and breath. There were bubbles, from a bubble machine and from wands. There was bubble wrap. There were pictures to color of each invited kid's name written in bubble letters. The cupcakes were lined with balloony paper. The goody bags included balloon stickers, bubbles and lollipops. Games were planned involving popping balloons, walking on the bubble wrap without popping it, and keeping balloons in the air. More games were planned around music: freeze dancing and musical chairs.

The music was the biggest production. I scoured the internet and my 80's hits CD for free copies and was amazed at all I found... (I'm not sure of all the names here, but you can get the point.)

99 Luft Balloons
Aqua Bubble
Balloons Go Flying
Black Balloon
Bridges and Balloons
Bubble Bath in the Sink
I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
In the Blue Sky
Man Who Sells Balloons
My Balloon
My Balloon's Going Up
Pop Goes the Weasel
Pop Goes the World
Pop Music
Real Wild Child (by Iggy Pop)
Red Balloon
Reggae Balloon Song
The Last Balloon
Tiny Bubbles
Up In the Air
Up, Up and Away
Yellow Balloon

Twenty-two songs in all, and these aren't all I found. Unfortunately we couldn't figure out how to get all the songs burned onto a disk; only thirteen made it. Still, it was a hit at the party. As the rain fell on the glass roof of the room we had rented, Bug played with a big yellow balloon as the "Yellow Balloon" song played.

Yellow Balloon
by Yellow Balloon

I never liked the rain before.
It always made me stay inside.
There's one thing that I know for sure,
I've got a reason to like it since you took me for a rainbow ride.

It's raining, it's pouring, but I don't care no more.

chorus
It's like a yellow balloon.
On a rainy afternoon.
And like a yellow balloon. ..

I never felt this way before,
It's a feeling that I can't explain.
There's one thing that I know for sure
I can tell you're feeling it too
Cause when I'm walkin with you in the rain. . .

chorus

I love you, yes I do.
And I know, you love me too
Raindrops fallin on the street

I don't care, cause when we meet
I know the sky is gonna get lighter
The sun's gonna shine a little brighter

chorus

It's now her favorite CD, the one she listens to every night as she goes to bed.

All the songs are still on the computer and can be played there successfully, which brings us to this morning. After Jem went down for a nap and the kitchen was cleaned up from breakfast, we settled down so I could work and Bug could play for a while. Bug asked for some music to dance. I started playing songs that she doesn't have on the disk.

Oh the excitement! And how cute is it to hear her happily sing, "Pop! Pop! Pop music! Talk about pop music!" as she adds stickers and shapes to her construction paper hat.

Needless to say, I chose to write about this instead of doing work, and Bug ultimately decided it was much more fun to stick stickers to my forehead.

Shakin' Her Booty and Rockin' in Style

Happy Third Birthday, Bug!

"I'm shaking my booty," October 13, 2006

Riding on Rocking Moose, October 14, 2006

Listen to the Radio

It was naptime one day, and Bug decided she'd rather play in her room than sleep. At that point we had given up on mandatory sleep, even though missed naps sometimes resulted in afternoon grumpfests. (Note that K has had a stroke of genius in dealing with this at nighttime, which I'll write about on some other occasion.) When I asked our standard question when depositing her in her room for "rest time": "Do you want your music on?" she said she didn't want her sleepy music on, but the radio.

The radio on, I tuned through the various stations. It was obvious from Bug's happy jumping at the moment that she wanted music that she could dance to. Tejano was always a hit for this, but while these stations were prevalent in Texas, Alaska doesn't appear to have such a station. I stopped every time something came in clearly enough. Country? "I don't like that." Rock? "I don't like that." Gospel? "I don't like that." Top 40? "I don't like that."

Just as I was about to give up and run out to the van to get one of her insidious CDs, a song fluttered its way across the airwaves and into Bug's ear. She was enthralled and propelled into a joyous spin. "I LIKE this, Momma!" she sang out.

Tom Petty
Freefalling

What It's All About

Bug and I excavated a box of old cassette tapes today, discovering a tape someone made for me years ago of dance songs. The only cassette player in the house is in Bug's room, so while Jem was napping, we went there to dance.

Bug now knows the chicken dance. Beaks. Wings. Butt. Clap. Easy as that. (So easy she was reciting the directions later at dinner.) Her favorite part, though, was the spinning. Whatever song was playing, she wanted to hold hands and spin. She would squeal with glee, especially if she obtained liftoff in the endeavor. It's amazing how big her room is now that the tent is gone.

We also did the hokey pokey, which Bug called the "pokey pokey." She didn't do it quite right, though (see above). When I put my right arm in, she grabbed it and insisted I give her my left as well so we could spin some more. The only time she really followed the hokey pokey instructions was when we put our whole selves in and shook them all about.

Bug's imagination came into play during the limbo song. I showed her how to do a layback to walk around the room. She tried, at least, before demanding more spinning.

Thinking of Aunt M.

Bug spent a lot of time today happily humming the tune to "See Saw, Marjory Doll." Just thought I'd mention it, after her shock that I wasn't familiar with it when we were home last year.

Buggin'

Two fairly significant issues have arised recently with Bug. The first is that she regularly changes her mind, and the second one is a general tendency to sound bossy.

The mind changing isn't always a big deal. If she says she wants milk, then immediately says she wants water, we roll with the punches. It's when we've gone to lengths to appease her that it becomes an issue. Take for instance the morning she decided that she wanted to put her milk in the small fridge in the office, and did so, only to get downstairs and bundled up to leave for school when she changed her mind, wanting to take her milk in the car with her. Granted, maybe I'm a cruel witch for not running back up to get it, but so be it. At eight months pregnant and on modified bed rest -- not to mention that I too had my shoes and coat on -- it wasn't going to happen. Commence wet, shakey and apocalyptic fit.

Later K and I have discussed how Bug may not be developmentally ready to comprehend why we have a problem with this. We've tried giving her the benefit of the doubt, asking several times about things before taking action. This hasn't quite worked for us, so it's back to the drawing board.

The other issue is affecting Bug at school as well as at home. She's so verbal, much more than the other kids in her class, but while she's at a major advantage in being able to communicate her needs clearly -- and for the most part remembering the "magic words," -- the directive nature of her phrasing comes off as extremely bossy. For instance:

• I want to watch Pooh Bear!
• Please get me cheese.
• Come and play with me.
• Please go away.

For this issue we've seen results almost instantly. Whenever she phrases something in a way that could be construed as rude or bossy, we rephrase it for her. Namely, if she wants something she should start with, "May I please..." and if she wants someone to do something for her she should start with "Would you please..." (Note: The "Please leave me alone" was directed at the many little boys in her classroom who would rush up to greet her before she got her coat/hat/gloves off. Modeling her teachers, who would tell the boys "[Bug] will see you in a minute. Please come play and let her get her coat off," she quickly rephrased herself to "I'll see you in a minute."

Both of these came into play today when she initially said she didn't want to go outside to play in the snow with K. "It's too cold outside."

Inconveniently enough, she changed her mind after K was inside, undressed and in the shower warming up. I explained to her that it was not going to happen, but when K got out of the shower, she greeted him with the sweetest, "May I please go outside to play with you?"

K started to tell her no. He tried. He was inside, cleaned up, warm, etc. Bug slumped and said her usual response to no's: "But I need to!" She pouted so cutely that it melted his heart. He told her he'd take her out.

And boy did she have fun!

Click to see more.

Since it was so cold, we didn't stay out for very long. The thrill of riding her rocket sled so fast down the street pumped her up so much that she was literally bouncing off the walls when she got back inside... or should I say bouncing off the coffee table (she tripped while twirling)?

Click to see more.

She only cried for a minute, but add that bruise to the one she has on the other eyelid (from where we knocked heads while playing with counting chips yesterday), and her teachers are bound to suspect abuse.

A Change to the Nightime Ritual

For the first time in ages, Bug and I made it almost all the way home -- to our exit -- without a request for her music. Instead we had quite an inspired conversation about the weather.

While still on base, Bug waxed observational.

Bug: There's a lot of snow on the ground!
Mommy: There is, but we need more. We haven't had a decent snow since Mom Mom and Popeye were here, and that was a long time ago. Do you remember playing with your rocket sled in the snow with Mom Mom and Popeye?

Bug: Yeah! That was fun! We need more snow!
Mommy: We sure do! You know what we should do tonight? We should do a snow dance.
Bug: A snow dance! ::wiggle wiggle:: Yeah!
Mommy: If we do a snow dance, maybe it will snow.
Bug: And I play in my rocket sled! That'd be fun! ::seriously:: We have to do a snow dance tonight, Mommy!

After a few minutes of silence, I heard her softly humming and then singing to herself. Straining to hear, I made out a little bit of it.

Bug: We need more snow! More snow! More snow!

What? Making up random songs? Totally a K thing.

Soon after, she asked for her music, so there was little talk till we got home. We did have a short conversation about how Slava (our cat) likes to eat the ribbon off balloons (and then throw up) which is yucky, so the balloons I gave her from this weekend's baby shower should stay in the car. When we entered the house, she was repeating, "Bubba eats the ribbons off my balloons. That's yucky!" After this fact was well acknowledged by K and me, she gave up on it and discussed with Daddy the need for us to do a snow dance tonight.

We talked briefly again about the snow dance right before bathtime, while I was running down the plan of action once her show was finished. I reminded her that when she got her jammies on, we'd have to do the snow dance. After a short discussion, it was decided that the snow dance should definitely include tippie toes, hopping and wiggling the butt.

And that's how it happened. After jammies were donned we performed the snow dance, including several refrains of, "Snow! Snow! Snow! We want snow!" and finishing it off with a double high five. Bug was overwhelmed with glee and optimism, following it up with her own little running man dance and yelling, "I think it's working!"

Her enthusiasm continued on the way to brush teeth. She decided to snow dance down the hall, sticking to the tippie toes and butt wiggling, all the while squealing and calling out, "I think it's working!"

Knowing Bug and her glee, this one's going to stick. The snow dance is going to become a fixture in the nightime ritual, just you wait. Hottest day of the year in Alaska? There'll be a snow dance.

p.s. to K - Dora tonight. She sang along with the Grumpy Old Troll song. Oh the cuteness!

Happy New Year!

We celebrated the new year early tonight since Bug goes to bed at 7:30 and K was tired after a long day. Not that I'd stay up till midnight.

Before K got home, I asked Bug if she wanted to make something. Cookies? A cake? Her face lit up. "A birthday cake! With candles!" Um, ok. It is the birth of a new year, right?

The decision was to put six candles on the cake. On the side we had sparkling cider, party blowers and Dora plates. We had matching Red Robin cups to drink from.

It took Bug some time to figure out the party blowers. She kept biting into them, cutting off the air flow. She was tenacious about learning, though, and when she did figure it out consistently (after getting completely spazzed out on sugar), she chased K and me around the house, "getting us" with it and giggling maniacally.

Thar she blows!

Yeehaw!

Happy 2006!

101.6

K got home from his mids shift this morning to find Bug and me still asleep. Her daycare is closed today, so I figured I'd let her sleep in. She usually wakes up on her own at 6:15, so I wasn't expecting her to really sleep in... K woke me up at 8:30, though; Bug still hadn't awakened.

She wasn't fast asleep. I brushed her cheek with my finger, and she immediately rolled out of her tent and crawled into my lap for a hug. The heat radiated off of her; it was obvious she had quite a temperature. She didn't act sick, though. She told me, as she does every morning, that she slept in her tent with her Boobah and her doctor kit, that she wanted to go to the playroom, that she wanted to watch a new Dora, that she needed to get her Boobah, and that she'd be right back.

Once in the playroom, Bug continued to not act the part of being sick. She announced during her diaper change that she wanted THREE affles for breakfast. She didn't ask me once to carry her; usually when she's sick she's very clingy. Heck, she's been known when she's not sick to have a melt down when I won't carry her up or down the stairs, and sometimes even from her room down the hall to the playroom. (I've been trying to break her of this; it looks like she's made a lot of progress.)

Downstairs, she got a plate without being asked, and happily went about her morning ritual of setting the table for breakfast, getting out the syrup and a cup for her juice. She ate a whole waffle and some pears, amusing me between bites by pointing out all her body parts (e.g., "I have two eyes! I have one belly button!"). Then she helped clean up and insisted on walking up the stairs without holding my hand. She jumped for herself when she got upstairs, she was so proud of her feat. Now she's sitting next to me giggling and clapping at yet another successful adventure for Dora.

I'll tell you, if this is Bug sick, she can feel free to be sick more often. She's normally a very cooperative little girl, but being a toddler means that her level of cooperation is directly affected by her attention span. I've never known her to be so focused for such a long period of time. I only had to ask her once -- if at all -- to do her assigned tasks. She didn't once get preoccupied with her pictures on the fridge, the wonder that is her cabinet of plates and cup lids, or the toys with her kitchen set.

----

As I wrote this, Bug cuddled up next to me and said, "Mommy, I've got a surprise for you!"

"A surprise for me? What is it?" I ask.

"It's a birthday cake!"

Her fascination with birthday cakes was not missed when shopping for Christmas. I can't wait till she opens this present!

Happy Halloween

Bug had said she wanted to be a black cat for Halloween, but she became engrossed in my witch costume. At the party we went to the other day, she refused to put on the kitty makeup. Instead, Mommy put the makeup on, to show Bug how cool and pretty it was. She wasn't game. So to the party we went, with Mommy as the "witch who was really bad at casting spells, turning herself into a kitty when she tried to turn a little girl into a kitty." I should have said Bug was a terrorist, clad only in black sweats. Oh well.

Today I went to the store and found Bug a cute little black dress, after which I picked her up from school. She was so excited when I asked her if she wanted to be a witch for Halloween. A subsequent trip to WalMart resulted in the purchase of a cute pair of black shoes (which weren't worn), but no hat could be found to fit her lovely little noggin. She was fine wearing mine afterall. Behold the bewitchingly lovely little Bug. (Those are my moose slippers she's donning.)