I'll be honest, I hesitated posting this video, wondering what must people think about the music we're exposing Elan to, but in the end, it was just too funny to not share.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Move Shake Drop
The other night Elan and I went to get some smoothies from Jamba Juice and decided to enjoy the nice weather we've had lately in the evenings. We were hanging out outside when Julio got home and played some music for Elan. This is what happened next...
I'll be honest, I hesitated posting this video, wondering what must people think about the music we're exposing Elan to, but in the end, it was just too funny to not share.
I'll be honest, I hesitated posting this video, wondering what must people think about the music we're exposing Elan to, but in the end, it was just too funny to not share.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
I spy something yellow
Lately our game in the car has been "I spy". Of course for us it's more like, "Yo veo algo..." We play just like you would in English.
Julio was just telling me that he and Elan were playing yesterday as they drove around town running errands. So, Julio says, "I spy something yellow." And Elan, very excitedly, shouts "the grass!" It wasn't really what Julio had spied, but really, with the drought and watering restrictions, can you blame the kid for thinking it was the grass?
Julio was just telling me that he and Elan were playing yesterday as they drove around town running errands. So, Julio says, "I spy something yellow." And Elan, very excitedly, shouts "the grass!" It wasn't really what Julio had spied, but really, with the drought and watering restrictions, can you blame the kid for thinking it was the grass?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Single Parenting is tough, but not impossible
So, at the time that I am writing this, it has been almost 72 hours since Julio left on his mountain biking trip, but who's counting, right? So, that's how long I've been a temporary "single parent". So, my overall opinion on this experience is that single parenting is harder than co-parenting, but not an unbearable task. Here's a breakdown of the highs and lows.
Challenges:
- I bought a new printer Thursday evening. I tried to work on setting it up while trying to get Elan to eat dinner. Probably not wise of me to multitask.
-Elan has a mind of his own and I tend to forget that. He has likes and dislikes. Which means getting dressed in the morning on Friday morning took longer than I had planned for. I was late for work.
- When I picked him up from school on Friday afternoon, I was terribly exhausted and had little patience left. It made for a rough night, but not horrible.
- Saturday morning Elan woke up 6:00 am. Seriously? He hardly ever wakes up this early. I was not prepared to start my day at 6:00am, but I had no choice. Out of bed.
- By Saturday afternoon, Elan was good and tired, but would not take his nap. He normally naps at around 12:30, but he didn't fall asleep till 3:00! Sigh. I think this was the only time during the weekend when I thought I was going to go crazy.
- Every morning and night, Elan has asked for Julio. He obviously misses his dad. And that is enough to break my heart.
The good stuff:
- Elan ate very well before we left for school on Friday morning. It was a no fuss breakfast- my favorite kind.
- Elan helped me cook dinner on Friday night. I made my own version of these rice cakes. He helped me get all the ingredients together, but I had to make him go to the living room while I fried them up. It was a good experience while it lasted.
- On Saturday morning, we went to a joint-birthday party for 2 of Elan's classmates. He had a good time, and it gave me the opportunity to meet the other parents from his class.
- After he finally napped, we played his new game, Uno Moo, which turned out to be a lot of fun. We didn't play exactly as the instructions suggest, but close enough to where he could practice his colors, animals, and the concept of "same" and "different. It was a hit.
- After playing the game, Elan and I went to Central Market where Elan got to play, we had gelato, walked around the water in search of little fish, and we got to see the moon through some telescopes that the Austin Astronomical Society had set up since it was "Astromony Day". The group Oliver Rajamani Ensemble played in celebration of Ghandi's birthday, and I have to admit, they were pretty good. It was a very interesting mix. And Elan's behavior was superb! While there, we also walked over to Zinger's which can be any person's paradise. There's something for everyone there. We had a great night together.
-Each night, bedtime has been easy. Elan is pretty cooperative.
- Sunday morning, we packed up our breakfast and met up with Lauren and Aedan at Little Stacy Park. Elan and I had never been there, so I'm glad we got to visit another park. It was good catching up time and Elan enjoyed playing somewhere new.
- After the park, we went to H-E-B, where Elan surprised me. For background info., Elan loves the"car" shopping carts and looks forward to riding in those each time we go to the store. Last time we went, they were all being used and he broke down crying. Anyway, this time, we got one and cruised around the store like we usually do. When we were at the register, a mom arrived to the store with her twins and asked if they could use it when we were done. Knowing she would have to wait (with twins- aakk!) for our cart, I suggested to Elan we get another one and give them ours. I was very surprised at how easy it was- he just said "ok" and we made the trade. It made that mom's day and it made mine, knowing he gets it- we have to let others have their turn. :)
- Overall, Elan's behavior was good. I had some challenging moments, but they were due mostly to the fact that I forget he is little person with a mind and feelings of his own. I kept having to remind myself to respect that fact. A few deep breaths and we were able to compromise.
- The one-on-one time we have been able to spend together over the last few days has been a good bonding experience.
So, while I didn't have to deal with anything terribly challenging, I'm grateful that I normally have Julio to help me out as much as he does. It's definitely easier when we tag team it. So, I'm really looking forward to his return, which is still, oh, more than four hours away. Oh wait, I forgot, I wasn't counting.
Challenges:
- I bought a new printer Thursday evening. I tried to work on setting it up while trying to get Elan to eat dinner. Probably not wise of me to multitask.
-Elan has a mind of his own and I tend to forget that. He has likes and dislikes. Which means getting dressed in the morning on Friday morning took longer than I had planned for. I was late for work.
- When I picked him up from school on Friday afternoon, I was terribly exhausted and had little patience left. It made for a rough night, but not horrible.
- Saturday morning Elan woke up 6:00 am. Seriously? He hardly ever wakes up this early. I was not prepared to start my day at 6:00am, but I had no choice. Out of bed.
- By Saturday afternoon, Elan was good and tired, but would not take his nap. He normally naps at around 12:30, but he didn't fall asleep till 3:00! Sigh. I think this was the only time during the weekend when I thought I was going to go crazy.
- Every morning and night, Elan has asked for Julio. He obviously misses his dad. And that is enough to break my heart.
The good stuff:
- Elan ate very well before we left for school on Friday morning. It was a no fuss breakfast- my favorite kind.
- Elan helped me cook dinner on Friday night. I made my own version of these rice cakes. He helped me get all the ingredients together, but I had to make him go to the living room while I fried them up. It was a good experience while it lasted.
- On Saturday morning, we went to a joint-birthday party for 2 of Elan's classmates. He had a good time, and it gave me the opportunity to meet the other parents from his class.
- After he finally napped, we played his new game, Uno Moo, which turned out to be a lot of fun. We didn't play exactly as the instructions suggest, but close enough to where he could practice his colors, animals, and the concept of "same" and "different. It was a hit.
- After playing the game, Elan and I went to Central Market where Elan got to play, we had gelato, walked around the water in search of little fish, and we got to see the moon through some telescopes that the Austin Astronomical Society had set up since it was "Astromony Day". The group Oliver Rajamani Ensemble played in celebration of Ghandi's birthday, and I have to admit, they were pretty good. It was a very interesting mix. And Elan's behavior was superb! While there, we also walked over to Zinger's which can be any person's paradise. There's something for everyone there. We had a great night together.
-Each night, bedtime has been easy. Elan is pretty cooperative.
- Sunday morning, we packed up our breakfast and met up with Lauren and Aedan at Little Stacy Park. Elan and I had never been there, so I'm glad we got to visit another park. It was good catching up time and Elan enjoyed playing somewhere new.
- After the park, we went to H-E-B, where Elan surprised me. For background info., Elan loves the"car" shopping carts and looks forward to riding in those each time we go to the store. Last time we went, they were all being used and he broke down crying. Anyway, this time, we got one and cruised around the store like we usually do. When we were at the register, a mom arrived to the store with her twins and asked if they could use it when we were done. Knowing she would have to wait (with twins- aakk!) for our cart, I suggested to Elan we get another one and give them ours. I was very surprised at how easy it was- he just said "ok" and we made the trade. It made that mom's day and it made mine, knowing he gets it- we have to let others have their turn. :)
- Overall, Elan's behavior was good. I had some challenging moments, but they were due mostly to the fact that I forget he is little person with a mind and feelings of his own. I kept having to remind myself to respect that fact. A few deep breaths and we were able to compromise.
- The one-on-one time we have been able to spend together over the last few days has been a good bonding experience.
So, while I didn't have to deal with anything terribly challenging, I'm grateful that I normally have Julio to help me out as much as he does. It's definitely easier when we tag team it. So, I'm really looking forward to his return, which is still, oh, more than four hours away. Oh wait, I forgot, I wasn't counting.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Tough Love Takes on a Food Battle
Yeah, I know what you're thinking- I thought this blog died. I'll be honest, it kinda did for a while. It was in a coma, we can say. To be completely truthful, I've been lazy and have avoided anything related to a blog. I'm not sure why. I didn't post anything over the last 2 months and I didn't read any blogs in about that amount of time. Not sure what got into me. Anyway, I'm back.
So, about the food war (which I'm not sure will ever really be won)....
As you know, we've always struggled with Elan and food. We came to the realization that Elan is just a lazy eater when he was a little over a year old. When we first introduced meats, he wouldn't eat them. And it wasn't because of the taste, because he would eat them pureed just fine. It wasn't really the texture, either. It was the work that it took to chew the meat that turned him away. Fast forward to now and the story is not much different. Elan prefers foods he already knows he likes (sweets, crackers, fruits, pasta, nuts, etc.), prefers food that take little effort to consume, and prefers to be spoon fed (yes, I just admitted that). Plain and simple, he is a lazy eater. As he gets older, he is trying and testing how much of his way he can get. And this is where the food battle meets tough love.
Everyday, we get a written report from his preschool (oh, yes, more on his preschool in another post) on how he did that day. On Monday, it said he ate very little of his lunch. We made a slight mention of it to him, but nothing noteworthy.
On Tuesday, again, his report said he ate very little of his lunch. On our way home, I told him he would not be eating anything else until he ate a healthy meal. So, once home, I prepared him baked chicken with tons of veggies. He took one look at it and said he didn't want it. "No problem," I said, "you don't have to eat it, but just know there isn't anything else to eat until you eat this." It went untouched. An hour later, I asked if he wanted me to heat up his food and he said yes. When I presented it to him, he said the same thing, he didn't want it. He wouldn't even try it. So, I took it back to the kitchen and told him the same thing. Bath time came around and we went through all of our bedtime routine. When the lights were out, he said he was hungry. I told him he could eat if he ate what I had prepared for him earlier. He agreed he would eat, so we made our way downstairs, and I heated up the plate of food. To my surprise, he ate EVERY LAST PIECE OF FOOD on that plate, without a single face or gag! And he ate it on his own and quickly! I thought I had succeeded in getting my point across.
On Wednesday, I go to pick him up and again, there is a report that he did not eat very much of his lunch. Sigh. By this point, I'm pretty upset. I talked to his teacher about it and made mention of it to him while still at school. When we got in the car, he got a lecture. I have to admit, I felt quite silly lecturing an almost-3-year old, but I basically told him why I was disappointed, what I expected of him, that there would be absolutely no sweets until he started eating better, and that he was going to have to eat on our terms. The car was dead silent and he looked very serious. He knew very well, he was in trouble. While on the way home, he asked if I'd make him a PB&J sandwich. Nope. He asked a few more times and I didn't budge. Since I knew he was hungry, I decided to prepare his first meal completely on my terms. So, I got 3 Ritz crackers, topped them with chicken salad, and served it with a bowl of steamed edamame. He looked at the chicken salad, asked what it was, then said he didn't want it. He just wanted the cracker. No siree! This was an all or nothing deal. So, I gave him the look and another reminder that he needed to at least try foods. So, knowing he was already in trouble, he tried it. And much to his surprise, he liked it. During this meal, he also had to show me how he was going to use the spoon to feed himself at school. He ate everything and asked for more chicken salad. Ha! Before going to bed this night, he told me he would eat at school the next day.
In telling my mom and a few coworkers about the tough love approach, I heard things like, "You're so mean." "I would have given in and given him PB&J." "Poor Elan." "He's so young."
So, today, I went to pick him up, saw his report and it said he ate. Phew! When he saw me, the first thing he did was run up to me and tell me ate today, very excitedly, I must add. In hearing this, the teacher turns to me, and says, "yes, he ate... A LOT."
Success.
As a small reward, he got to chew gum on the way home. :)
While I doubt our food war is over, tough love prevailed on this recent battle, and I've learned a lot about sticking to my guns. You may be asking yourself, "why all the fuss?" Well, we are living in a world where more and more kids have a feeling of entitlement and feel they can always get their way. If we continue to raise our kids with that kind of mentality, we are setting them up for disappointment when real life hits. Elan may be young, but it has to start now. He has to know there are boundaries, there are rules, and they're not his rules. I'm not trying to be a micro manager of his life, I'm just trying to make him a better person while I can. He needs to understand that right now I know what's best for him.
What are your thoughts on tough love (or anything else mentioned in this post)?
So, about the food war (which I'm not sure will ever really be won)....
As you know, we've always struggled with Elan and food. We came to the realization that Elan is just a lazy eater when he was a little over a year old. When we first introduced meats, he wouldn't eat them. And it wasn't because of the taste, because he would eat them pureed just fine. It wasn't really the texture, either. It was the work that it took to chew the meat that turned him away. Fast forward to now and the story is not much different. Elan prefers foods he already knows he likes (sweets, crackers, fruits, pasta, nuts, etc.), prefers food that take little effort to consume, and prefers to be spoon fed (yes, I just admitted that). Plain and simple, he is a lazy eater. As he gets older, he is trying and testing how much of his way he can get. And this is where the food battle meets tough love.
Everyday, we get a written report from his preschool (oh, yes, more on his preschool in another post) on how he did that day. On Monday, it said he ate very little of his lunch. We made a slight mention of it to him, but nothing noteworthy.
On Tuesday, again, his report said he ate very little of his lunch. On our way home, I told him he would not be eating anything else until he ate a healthy meal. So, once home, I prepared him baked chicken with tons of veggies. He took one look at it and said he didn't want it. "No problem," I said, "you don't have to eat it, but just know there isn't anything else to eat until you eat this." It went untouched. An hour later, I asked if he wanted me to heat up his food and he said yes. When I presented it to him, he said the same thing, he didn't want it. He wouldn't even try it. So, I took it back to the kitchen and told him the same thing. Bath time came around and we went through all of our bedtime routine. When the lights were out, he said he was hungry. I told him he could eat if he ate what I had prepared for him earlier. He agreed he would eat, so we made our way downstairs, and I heated up the plate of food. To my surprise, he ate EVERY LAST PIECE OF FOOD on that plate, without a single face or gag! And he ate it on his own and quickly! I thought I had succeeded in getting my point across.
On Wednesday, I go to pick him up and again, there is a report that he did not eat very much of his lunch. Sigh. By this point, I'm pretty upset. I talked to his teacher about it and made mention of it to him while still at school. When we got in the car, he got a lecture. I have to admit, I felt quite silly lecturing an almost-3-year old, but I basically told him why I was disappointed, what I expected of him, that there would be absolutely no sweets until he started eating better, and that he was going to have to eat on our terms. The car was dead silent and he looked very serious. He knew very well, he was in trouble. While on the way home, he asked if I'd make him a PB&J sandwich. Nope. He asked a few more times and I didn't budge. Since I knew he was hungry, I decided to prepare his first meal completely on my terms. So, I got 3 Ritz crackers, topped them with chicken salad, and served it with a bowl of steamed edamame. He looked at the chicken salad, asked what it was, then said he didn't want it. He just wanted the cracker. No siree! This was an all or nothing deal. So, I gave him the look and another reminder that he needed to at least try foods. So, knowing he was already in trouble, he tried it. And much to his surprise, he liked it. During this meal, he also had to show me how he was going to use the spoon to feed himself at school. He ate everything and asked for more chicken salad. Ha! Before going to bed this night, he told me he would eat at school the next day.
In telling my mom and a few coworkers about the tough love approach, I heard things like, "You're so mean." "I would have given in and given him PB&J." "Poor Elan." "He's so young."
So, today, I went to pick him up, saw his report and it said he ate. Phew! When he saw me, the first thing he did was run up to me and tell me ate today, very excitedly, I must add. In hearing this, the teacher turns to me, and says, "yes, he ate... A LOT."
Success.
As a small reward, he got to chew gum on the way home. :)
While I doubt our food war is over, tough love prevailed on this recent battle, and I've learned a lot about sticking to my guns. You may be asking yourself, "why all the fuss?" Well, we are living in a world where more and more kids have a feeling of entitlement and feel they can always get their way. If we continue to raise our kids with that kind of mentality, we are setting them up for disappointment when real life hits. Elan may be young, but it has to start now. He has to know there are boundaries, there are rules, and they're not his rules. I'm not trying to be a micro manager of his life, I'm just trying to make him a better person while I can. He needs to understand that right now I know what's best for him.
What are your thoughts on tough love (or anything else mentioned in this post)?
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