The Armadillo Tales

Another Year for B-Dad

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B-DAD!!   WE LOVE YOU!

ARMADILLO, LIL' LAMB & MAMA

Marley and Me

I finally, finally finished this book, Marley & Me by John Grogan.    If you have ever been lucky enough to share your life with a non-human companion then you must read this book.   If you have shared your life with an extraordinary canine, then there should be a law that you read this book.   I have been lucky enough to have shared my life so far with 3 dogs.   Two of them are still with me, the other has gone on to the everlasting meadow fields, crossing over that Rainbow Bridge.   

I laughed at the Marley stories and could even relate to some of the horrors.   I also cried at the end.  I know what it is like to have your life enriched by a creature that will love you unconditionally to no end, then to have to let go of this beautiful being so that you can end their constant pain and suffering.   There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of my Lucy.

I hope that Lucy has met Marley on that Rainbow Bridge, and that they have had the opportunity to chase those rabbits together. 

Target Picks

Check out my new site, Target Picks!   I have an addiction and that addiction is Target.   I love love love shopping at Target.   At Target Picks I'll post about the fantastic, not-so fantastic, and just plain weird stuff found at Target's online site and my local Target stores.   

Take a look and let me know what you think!

CommON Sense

If you're looking for an online site that provides a trusted source for family friendly reviews on television, movies, websites, games, etc ... then check out Common Sense Media.   There you'll find a large number of reviews based on the differing media.   You'll also find reviews based on your chlid's age.   This is a great site to refer to before buying that DVD or PlayStation game.   

Visit Common Sense Media.

Jack's Big Music Show

I’m not afraid to admit it.   The armadillo watches television.   There I said it.   That being said, one of the armadillo’s favorite shows is “Jack’s Big Music Show” on Noggin.  Gotta love that channel, Noggin.    Here’s a brief synopsis from Noggin.com on the show:

Jack is just a cool little music lovin' kid who takes a break every day from his busy kid schedule to visit his favorite place in the world—his backyard clubhouse. Here he can do what he loves best—make music, sing, dance, and have fun with his friend Mary, his faithful dog Mel and all of his neighborhood pals who stop by.

Jack and Mary love to be surprised by discovering music in unexpected places, and anything can happen in the clubhouse, from rocking out in a super-swell dance party to discovering the Music Genie to meeting Jack’s number one favorite musician, The King of Swing himself!

From this show the armadillo has encouraged his fondness of dancing.  He can recognize the theme song and claps along.   The bonus for me and the armadillo are the Laurie Berkner songs.   I adore her songs.  They are so catchy and endearing.   

If you have access to Noggin, check out “Jack’s Big Music Show” because as Jack says … It’s “super swell”!

To Hit or Not to Hit

Would you rather have your child be the “bully” or the “victim”?    I ask this question because this past weekend the armadillo saw his cousins.    The younger female cousin is somewhat of an aggressor.    More than once she went up to the armadillo and pinched his face, hit his head, and hit his face.   The armadillo took a passive approach when she would physically torment him.   After a few times the armadillo would cry out and run to either myself or B-Dad.    Even if she started to walk in his direction, he would head towards either B-Dad or me.    The mother a couple of times would say "Oh, she just wants to give you a hug", to the armadillo.   How would he know that?   The armadillo is less than 2 years old.  In fact, how would I know that?    And I know that I am more than 2 years old.   The armadillo’s cousin, whom I’ll nickname “bruiser” for this post, has done this on previous occasions.   I was sorely disappointed that she was still in this “phase”.      

Bruiser is roughly 1 ½ years old.    She is a little smaller than the armadillo and seems to believe that it is “fun” to hit or pinch another child.    I have seen some discipline by her parents when bruiser hits or pinches.   Though in my strict opinion, it’s not enough.   It annoys me that when a parent knows that their child can physically strike out, the parent does not seem to pay close attention to their child’s behavior.   Most of the times, neither parent was in the room.    It was either B-Dad or myself telling her not to hit him, etc ...    If I was to see either of my boys physically acting out, immediate discipline is laid out.   I'll then watch them like a hawk or if I have to, remove them from the situation entirely.    I have been fortunate that I haven’t had to address such an issue with the armadillo.  

Bruiser’s mother indicated that the armadillo could fight back if he wanted to.    Um, is that your way of “handling” the situation?    I find fault with this in two ways.  One, to me it appears more of a languid method of dealing with the circumstances.    Second, I don’t want my armadillo to feel the need to fight back.   The situation shouldn’t arise in the first place.

I know, I know.   You’re probably going to say that they are toddlers and don’t know any better.   I can accept that with the first couple of hits, but come on.   After that I expect an attempt to correct the situation.    I would never just let the armadillo repeatedly physically harm anyone.    To do nothing or to be permissive would be teaching my child that this type of behavior is acceptable.   

It is not.

Trade Ya

I am amazed at this story.   This man took a red paper clip and ended up with a year’s free rent at a house in Phoenix.    It’s remarkable how this was done.   If you haven’t heard of this story click here to read …   

Now what can I get for my Hello Kitty pens?

Fall Back

What is happening to my little baby?  He is growing so fast I can’t keep up!   Where did my 7 lb 2 oz baby go?   Now I have one that is twice that size and twice as adorable if I might add.   His looks change every day and I’m not ready yet.  I’m not ready for my baby to grow up.  Yesterday I saw a little girl who was 2 weeks old.   Today I saw a little boy from the armadillo’s music class that was about that age as well.   Oh how I miss those beginning days.   The days when my lil’ lamb was just beginning his life’s journey.   

I miss his wrinkly skin, the tiny feet, the tiny legs, the tiny hands, the soft layer of hair on his head, etc …    All of that disappeared … poof!   Except for the hair, he has about 50% off it left, but it’s going quickly.      I never realized how fast they grow until you look at them and grasp that they are developing at an amazing speed.   My lil’ lamb has thighs the width of a python and arms that could double as anacondas.  He is wearing size 3 diapers and has moved onto the 6 month clothing size for most brands.   

Even the armadillo is maturing at a rapid speed.   I now have to look at the “T” sizes, as in 2T.   We are entertaining potty training and getting the armadillo a “big boy” bed.   NO!!!

Too fast, too fast I want to scream!   

How can we slow it down?     How can I cherish these days with my little boys when they are gone before I know it?    How do I ensure that my time with them is an extraordinary experience every day?      How do I know if I am being a good mommy?

This is one instance where I would implement the “fall back” concept of daylight savings time every month.  That way I know I will get an extra hour with them and make that hour truly exceptional.   

Easter Egg Hunt

Today our mom’s group held its 1^st Annual Easter Egg Hunt.   It was moved indoors because of all of the nasty weather we’ve been having lately.    There was an Easter egg hunt, a tattoo station, a place where you could take your photo, and food!    I brought the armadillo only.   The lil’ lamb is too young to really enjoy all of the activities, so he spent the morning with B-Dad.   Lucky for B-Dad, the lil’ lamb slept the whole time.    All in all the armadillo had a blast.    We brought his Elmo Easter basket for the Easter Egg Hunt and it sure came in handy.   At first the armadillo wasn’t sure what to do, but after a couple of minutes he knew that the colored plastic things were the “good stuff”.    Then he figured out that there were little trinkets/toys inside.  The armadillo couldn’t figure out how to open the eggs himself.  Then he made the ingenious decision to throw the plastic egg so it opened when it fell on the ground.  How resourceful.   

There were quite a number of adults and kids at the event.    I always feel miserable that I don’t know all of the mommies.    But there are just so many lovely women and with the kids around, it gets a bit tricky to have a decent conversation sometimes.   Hopefully there will be another “Girls’ Night Out” and I’ll be able to meet the other members.   

The food, the food, the food … so much food.    There were sandwiches, pasta salads, veggies, chicken, roll-up sandwiches, cakes, cookies, etc …   Someone even made a cake in the shape of a bunny!    Of course the armadillo being the fruit fanatic that he is, stuck to the grapes and strawberries.   He ended up getting strawberry juice all on his new t-shirt.  Every time I mentioned the juice, the armadillo pointed to his shirt and laughed.   

Must be nice to get sticky and dirty, and not care about it.   Ah, the life of a child.

Hunger Pains

I starve the armadillo.   Well that’s not true of course, but he gives off the impression that I don’t feed him at all.    Whenever we meet up with the other mommies he becomes a shark on the hunt for prey.   By prey I refer to snack items that other mommies bring.   It’s so mortifying when I see him run up to another mommy when she brings out a baggie of grapes, or a container of crackers.   The armadillo hovers for a few seconds, then he moves in and points to the coveted item.   “Ooh ooh” the armadillo says anxiously.    What the armadillo really pines for is fruit.  I find that so peculiar because I give him fruit at home.  Sometimes he refuses it flat out.   But when we’re out and his friends have fresh fruit for snacks, the armadillo makes a beeline for that baggie.   That’s when mommy, that’s me, covers her face in humiliation as the armadillo begs his adorable heart out.   

“Sit armadillo sit”