Importance of Playdates???

OK, so as I sit at my painfully slow computer wishing not only was it faster but that it hasn’t been over three months since my last post. I know I have said this before but boy does time get away from you. I am actually typing this in a word document that I will then copy and paste onto my blog. That is how slow my computer is running. All my other Internet devices are super speedy so common sense tells me it’s my computer, not my Internet. Anyway, what has really pulled me from my stupor is this: Why is it that toddlers need to be around other kids?

Now just bear with me on this one. As a mom home with her toddler, (at least during the day) I am always reminded that Ella needs to be exposed to other kids because of one reason or another. The main reason I hear is so she can learn how to play with other kids. Well, I get it really I do, but shouldn’t the more important lesson be how to get along with others, period. I mean yes, she will need to get along with other children, sure but she also will need to know how to interact with adults, right? My train of thought goes along the track of, isn’t the best person to teach her how to interact with others myself and my spouse? I know how I will expect Ella to behave with others, therefore I feel I am the best person to show her that. I mean, are other toddlers really going to teach her to behave properly? I seriously doubt it. Then you run into the problem of her picking up undesirable behavior from other kids. She sees it’s OK for kid number one to take a toy from kid number two, so monkey see, monkey do and she starts doing it. You then have to again teach them that it’s not OK to take toys away but Mommy of kid one is not teaching the same lesson. So maybe I am more anti-playgroup? I do bring Ella over to play with a few toddlers her own age and she does well, but I know those Mommies well and we are on the same page as far as what is acceptable and what is not as far as behavior and rules.

I am going to venture slightly off topic and ask what do you do when someone else’s kid does something to your kid, that you wouldn’t let your own child get away with? Example, Ella and I were at the library when she took out an abacus to play with while I picked out some books for her for the week. She was just sitting at the little table playing with it, when another girl grabbed it from her, Ella then called for me. The dad of this girl asked her why she was being so naughty that day and that she was making him sad. That was it, not a word about taking the toy or that she should give it back. I just took Ella by the hand told her it was OK and that we were going to go home. In retrospect I wish I would have said something. This was also the same girl that was disruptive during story time and would not stop whining nor would she sit down but kept standing up blocking everyone’s view of the book. I feel Dad should have removed her from story time, clearly Dad is a pushover. Well, I know why she is naughty, you don’t discipline. Duh. ( I have removed Ella from story time when she didn’t want to sit and listen, along with an apology to the group. I am not a hypocrite.)

The above example is just one of the reasons I don’t feel it’s that important to make sure Ella is around other kids on a regular basis. When she is more pre-school age I would make more of an effort but until Ella actually is interested in playing with someone instead of next to them I’d rather not have to deal with naughty kids and their lazy parents. Harsh, I know but in my defense, I do not work as hard as I do to have a well behaved toddler just so someone else’s kid can treat her exactly how I have taught her not to behave. For now she is still my baby and I am still in protection mode, when she can speak well and is a little older it is different because then she will be able to verbally stand up for herself. Plus the things parents let their kids get away with is maddening and I don’t know how long I can bite my tongue.

I would love to hear other reasons it's important to have your toddler around other kids, you know other than germs.

Sooo, It's Been Brought To My Attention.......

It was pointed out to me these last few days that I have not posted in quite a while. Something that I was aware of, I have been very busy. I have been meaning to write something but so much had been going on that I don't know which topic I should touch base on first. Building a fence and getting a permit, good old Minnesota weather, my personal journey to good health, the day at the zoo or the joys of trying to refinance. I think I will go with complaining about trying to refinance our house and what a colossal failure that was.

Apparently, there is not a real good reason to have a great credit score anymore. (After all this, I do not see why they just don't throw it right out the window.) So we were told that we can't refinance our loan because I have only been at my job for four months after not working for over a year. I get what they are saying, truly I do. HOWEVER, in the last four years that we've been in our house, we've never even had a late payment. So, how is it that we would start missing payments when the payment goes down? Sometimes I just wish COMMON SENSE ruled over guidelines.

Why do we even have the credit score and debt to your name system, if they aren't going to use it. Wasn't that whole system designed to be able to tell who is financially responsible??? I mean, I understand you want to give money to the people who make big bucks, but that isn't any more of a guarantee they will pay you back. What has been the point of not having debt and having a really good credit score if it isn't going to help me? No wonder people don't care if they are late on stuff and ruin their credit. It doesn't seem to help you anymore.

It's just so frustrating that they can't see I am trying to prevent late payments, or ruining our credit scores because apparently I can only get help from all these lenders if we are really behind or going into foreclosure. Umm, golly gee whiz that is exactly what I am trying to AVOID!

Starting The Journey To Good Health

I made a big purchase today. I bought a Tread Climber. I had been wanting it for what feels like many many years and finally did it. (Truthfully it's only been a few years, but that seems a long time when you want something like that.) I really wanted a low impact cardio machine and that is what it is. They have a money back guarantee and I will do this and see if I feel it's doing what I am looking for. I know I will actually have to put in the effort and I am OK with that. I am just so excited.

I am planning on doing this in addition to continuing Yoga and Pilate's. I have started doing Yoga with Ella in the morning and she seems to enjoy it. It's so cute watching her do down dog! I just want to be in better health. I want to be a healthy role model to my child. To me that means showing her to take care of herself with nutrition and exercise. I am not planning on eliminating foods from my diet, but teach her about moderation of those foods that really don't do anything for our bodies, (but probably do wonders for our minds, wine and chocolate anyone?).

My goal isn't exactly a size or weight, although I do have a general idea in my mind. Mainly, I want to feel good and feel good about myself. I want to be able to just put on some clothes and not go, "umm, this doesn't look good". I do not want to be really thin, nor do I want to lose all my feminine curves. I feel like 150 is a good weight for me. The number doesn't matter to me so much, I'll know I am at the right weight when I feel great.