The wealthy tooth fairy

I recently made the mistake of asking my wife how much money the tooth fairy now leaves under a pillow in exchange for a tooth.

I thought maybe a kid can get as much as a dollar for a milk tooth, but my wife said she heard that some parents -- er, tooth fairies -- pay out as much as $5 a tooth.

Wow. I knew the price of everything has inflated since I was a child in the early 70s, but $5 a tooth? By the time Maura and Ramsey lose their baby teeth, I'll need a loan to pay for them all. And I'm not even talking about braces yet!

I remember getting 25 cents for a tooth as a kid and thinking that's a pretty good deal. I wouldn't have known what to do with $5 a tooth.

Fortunately, the tooth fairy at my house doesn't carry around very large bills, but usually has a lot of loose change that slips easily under pillows.

Posted by: Rick on 8/06/2008 at 9:48 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

From the mouths of babes ...

Overheard at my house today ...

"Daddy, I don't want to be a man when I grow up, because I don't want to have to shave my face."

Well, Maura, I'm not too crazy about having to shave my face, either. I didn't have the heart to tell her that woman shave their legs. I'll let Mom explain that to her someday.

Posted by: Rick on 8/05/2008 at 4:21 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

New strategy

So I've read some books and absorbed some ideas. It's obvious that the old way wasn't working. New potty-training methods are being implemented.

First, I am going to work on becoming more patient. This is a skill that will help me in all aspects of life, so it's a good thing to do anyway.

Second, I'm going to start paying more attention to how often and how regularly Abigail's going to the bathroom. I'll do this by setting a timer to go off in regular (1-hour to start) intervals. When the timer goes off, it's time to go potty.

Third, I'm going to be more calm and accepting. Again, these things are good for life in general. When there are accidents, I will try not to get frustrated or upset. I will help Abigail get cleaned up, and we will carry on with life and try again next time.

As you can see, I've come to realize the potty training problems were all me. I'm working to correct that. Thanks, Elizabeth Pantley, for writing your "No-cry potty training solution".

Posted by: Tamara on 8/02/2008 at 6:17 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink

Bubs and his fascination with trucks and tractors

What is it with little boys and their genetic fascination with anything that sits on wheels?

My 2-year-old son, Ramsey (also knowns as "Bubs"), is no exception to this observation.
He's the one on the left in this picture. For some reason, Mom decided to dress him all in camo that day.

He reportedly kept "busy" for quite a while running these miniature farm implements.

I probably was no different than Ramsey when I was 2 years old -- except they make much cooler kid toys now than they did when I was a toddler.

Posted by: Rick on 7/31/2008 at 10:15 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

City on a hill

I realize my house is half-way up a hillside. I also realize that hillsides are nothing like plains. But really, to not have a single 6-foot flat spot in my yard, or driveway, is highly annoying, at least when I'm trying to fill up Abigail's wading pool without one side being 6 inches deep and the other side barely 2 inches deep.

Grandma and Grandpa passed the pool on to us when they returned Abigail, and it's been warm enough here that I certainly appreciate it. Now, if only I could find a spot to put it.

I especially want to get it set up because we have some friends visiting this weekend; they have a 3-year-old and a baby. And it is supposed to be warm enough that a wading pool will feel nice. That would make for some great fun and great photos!

I guess I'll have to try putting it on the deck. Now, how to get the hose up there...

Posted by: Tamara on 7/30/2008 at 8:09 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Mother Nature tried, but she couldn't wake my kids up

When a strong -- and very loud -- thunderstorm rumbled past our homestead last night, my wife and I woke up immediately. We waited for our two children to get jarred out of bed, too, as several peals of thunder shook the house.

I envisioned our 5-year-old daughter running, while screaming, to our bedroom and our 2-year-old son's cry erupting from his baby monitor. Soon, two adults and two kids would be crammed into one bed and I would not be able to fall back asleep as their squirming and kicking kept me awake.

But they stayed asleep.

No matter how loudly the elements howled outside, our kids didn't wake up.

I, on the other hand, couldn't fall back asleep anyway. Oh, to be a kid again and be able to sleep through loud thunderstorms.

Posted by: Rick on 7/29/2008 at 9:46 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Backtracking

We've been working on this potty training business for almost three months now. With limited success. She's good about going right away in the morning, and right after a nap, but those are about the only reliable times.

Our roadtrip and extended stay with the grandparents didn't help matters. There was significant backsliding ... so far back as to essentially erase all progress. Darn roadtrip. So we're starting over. But it seems to be taking her longer to catch on this time around.

Even the princess sticker rewards aren't enough of an enticement lately. Abigail has even said, "I don't want princess sticker!" when I tell her it's time to go to the bathroom.

She's clearly ready for potty training. She knows when she has to go, because she tells me when she's done. She can pull her pants up and down, and certainly has the words. And sometimes she even wants to sit on the toilet, even if nothing happens. We have a step-stool so she can reach. She's just being stubborn, or lazy, because it's easier to go in her pants.

So last week, being near my wits end, I checked out 6-8 potty-training books from the library. I've only gotten through one, advocating starting when your baby is about 3 months old, that was almost no help. I'm now reading "The No-cry Potty Training Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. I'm only about a chapter or two in, but it seems as if it may help. If not, I've got the rest of the pile to go through yet. This book has the reassuring information that potty training can take as long as 12 months before daytime toileting is reliable. That makes me feel a little better, but I hope it doesn't take that long!

I don't want to go the "bribe her with (insert small candies here)" route. We don't give her much candy or sugary stuff, so I'm not going to go there. And she's in cloth training pants when we're at home, so she's feeling the wet. Does anyone else have any advice?

Posted by: Tamara on 7/28/2008 at 5:11 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink