POOP! Even birds do it.

Being a mom to a wild toddler boy isn't really what I had ever pictured.  I'm not quite sure what I had in mind when it came to kiddos, but it certainly wasn't, "Hey mom, this is a big poop, right?".

If you or someone you know has a toddler boy, I imagine that you've experienced or heard a few of these exciting revelations from the bathroom:

1) "Hey mom, my poop stinks today".  Great, turn the fan on.
2) "Mommy, if I eat too much cheese my poop will hurt, right?"... Yes, absolutely.
3) "Oops!  I think I forgot to wipe my butt".  Disgusting.
4) "If I get poop in my underwear, will you be mad at me?".  No, only disgusted.

Completely random story to follow:

"Mommy!  Today, at school, two birds pooped on the school.  And birds aren't allowed to poop on the school because the teachers will get mad.  And its not good when teachers are mad.  Those were some bad birds, right mom?"

(I later asked Titan's teacher, WHAT THE HECK IS HE TALKING ABOUT?  She had NO clue.)

Poop.  Everyone does it but only boys (young and old) talk about it.

But MOOOOMMMMM!

It's always something, ya know?  With kids, that is.

Having an almost-four-year-old boy is what I imagine having a thirteen year old girl to be like.  A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E.

I've heard of the terrible twos, but oh wait, it's actually the "psychotic" threes... but better yet, the friggin' fours (and I am OBVIOUSLY substituting the would friggin' for... well, you can imagine!).

My sweet little miracle baby gives me a headache.  That two pound twelve ounces sweet, sweet, miracle baby is smart.  And completely irrational!

One day, he wants to brush his teeth with the lights off.  Fine.  Brush your teeth with the lights off, go for it.  I can't see a thing.  The next day, I turn the lights off in anticipation that he's going to ask anyway.  But that day, oh no, don't you dare turn the lights off!  I WANT THEM ON!  Oh, ok, no problem then.  We'll turn on.  Weeelllll, actually mom, let's leave them off.  Ok, off it is!  (example of psychotic three)

By the time I drop Ronan off at daycare and Titan at school, I really need a minute to gather myself.  It's like a war most mornings, ya know, navigating the temper tantrums, the crying baby, the whining dog.  So I sit in the parking lot and think positive thoughts.  (Like a one-way ticket to a tropical island... warm, positive thoughts!)  And then I think of all the funny shiz-nit that Titan does, and the world seems MILDLY better.

A few nights ago Titan and I were picking out his clothes for school the next day, and the conversation went a little something like this:

Me: "Titan!  Where are all your socks?  There are only three pair in here and I just did all the laundry.  Where are the rest of them?"

Titan: "Oh, they are right here!" (He takes the pillow off of his bed and shows me inside the pillow case.  Sure enough, all his socks, un-matched now, of course).

Me: "Why are your socks in your pillow case?"

Titan:  "So this way I always know where they are and I can sleep on them."

(Confused look on my face)

Titan: "I don't know mom, its just what I do.  (shoulder shrug) Its just what I do".

 
Sometimes you just have to accept the crazy and remember that "its already perfect".

Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease!

Yesterday was my very first Parent/ Teacher conference.  Sure, it was only preschool, but talk about feeling old!

Earlier this year, I felt really uncomfortable with some things I noticed going on at Titan's school.  The main doors to the building NEVER locked and a few times I entered the building to pick him up and NO ONE WAS AT THE FRONT DESK.  NO ONE EVEN KNEW I ENTERED THE BUILDING.  Ask me how well that went over :)

So after an email exchange with Titan's teacher and also with the director of the school, they vowed to have someone at the front desk at all times.  (uummm, shouldn't that policy have already been in place??!!)

Later on, maybe it was a few days, maybe it was a few weeks, I don't even remember at this point, all the kids were playing in the "playground" during pick up time.  (And by playground, I mean a black top with woods chips.  Children are similar to hamsters, I guess?) I was greeted in the main lobby, walked through the school, and went to the playground.  BUT NO ONE EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED that I was picking Titan up and taking him home.  Not safe.  Not cool.  ANGRY mom, once again.

Emails, emails, emails.  Sometimes its so hard to be polite when all you want to do is scream.  Your child is your world, don't they know that?  Safety first!  "Why don't the front doors lock?"  "Someone must have been in the bathroom yesterday because NO ONE was at the front desk."

Results?  Well, in late September I was told that a security system would be installed.  October came and went.  As did November and as did December.  And we all know what happened in mid-December.  Connecticut.  The shootings.  Horrible.

Emails, emails, emails.  I told the director the actions of the school were no longer acceptable.  They dragged their feet far too long.  Either lock the doors and man the front desk or Titan will NOT be returning.  We will not pay his tuition.  (Which, by the way, is a FORTUNE considering his school is next to a LIQUOR store.  Yes, seriously).

Results?  The director waived our tuition for the time I pulled Titan out of school.  The security system was installed and working in time for the children to return after New Years.  Each family has a code they type in that unlocks the main entrance door and it automatically locks as soon as its shut.  Front desk is always manned.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

So, the moral of the story is this:

In our lives, every day, we settle.  We settle for things we know aren't right.  We settle on things because we don't think we can make a difference.  We settle because we're too tired, we're too lazy, we're too this, we're too that.  Whatever the reason is, it doesn't matter.

How far would you go to protect your child?

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.