Alli’s Neighborhood

I'd heard from several people, even perfect strangers, that three was actually worse than two. Maybe it's because I'm in the thick of the threes, but right now, the "terrible twos" look like a warm sunny day at the park.

Do I really have another half a year left??

Ok, that might be a teensy bit on the extreme side, but right now it seems like this hellish nightmare will never end. I feel like I'm always repeating myself (who's the broken record?) and even though my little boy knows he's not supposed to do *insert fill in the blank here*, he just can't seem to help himself. Add to that a side of open defiance, a dish of kicking and screaming and a dash of you can't make me, and it's a recipe for disaster.

We are working hard at being consistent and making sure we follow through, but what seemed to work fine and be effective ... even two weeks ago ... just is not cutting it anymore.

When we discovered we were pregnant, I signed up for the weekly pregnancy emails at babycenter.com and since they asked, I shared Stephan's information with them as well. This means that I also get several emails about the rambunctious toddler. Every once in a while something turns up useful, and sometimes, even at just the right time.

Being that I'm about ready to pull my hair out, Christmas is around the corner, and I really do want to enjoy my last break before the business hits and baby comes in the spring, I was thankful for this series of articles on time-outs and toddler discipline. (I'm a little freaked that they are geared toward threes and fours, but eventually something's got to give, right?

• Time-outs: How to make them work (ages 3-4)
  
• What to do when time-outs don't work (ages 3-4)
  
• Moving beyond threats (ages 3-4)
  
• Alternatives to threats (ages 3-4)
  

Each of these builds on the other and provides some great ideas and strategies, and provided some small changes that will hopefully make a HUGE impact.

My biggest issue is keeping my cool. I'm already frustrated and stressed about the whole situation and really will need to work hard at keeping that out of the equation. No sense adding to the drama. I'm hopeful gaining some additional tips on discipline now that he's changing things up a bit will make all the difference.

So here's to a better tomorrow!

• 12:29 Wondering if work would accept ennui as a good reason not to come in today. #

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• 12:15 Spending your day off studying food-borne illnesses is SUPER FUN. #

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+ handed in all the grading and all the assignments. motherfucking finally. yes. okay. thank you.
+ dancing! so much has happened; i had missed it
+ bringing the roommate-love out of the apartment
+ cooking. n. and i made french toast and bacon and americanos this morning (okay, at noon) and it was pretty wicked
+ watching movies oh my god, the thought that you are allowed to have two or even four hours to yourself, incredible. also watching really fun nfb documentaries is pretty great
+ have been knitting. spent yesterday afternoon with the queer knitting group at oots. people were up to some pretty amazing shit. i was impressed.
+ i love hanging out at oots a lot, even if it is just sarah and i going over the vhs collection
+ finding the sexy parts of guelph
+ tidy apartment! nick cleaned the shit out of this place yesterday and I am so excited about that. we are going to make it over a lot over the break, i think.
+ margaret atwood read along. i had decided to read one of her novels; nick has one on a course list for next semester, so that should be fun. party times.
+ going home to see my family! yay!
+ impending peterborough hangouts. my heart, my heart.
+ still loving my fancy solid perfume from here

• 09:17 Having some weird muscle twitches in my hand. Hoping that this is not a precursor to Evil Hand Syndrome. #

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• 13:52 Jeep just went boom. Waiting to hear back from the car doctor. #

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• 23:58 My performance in beatles rock band would lead me to believe that I am not, in fact, the next Ringo Starr. #
• 20:45 I cannot figure out a way to play the drums that keeps me from looking like an octopus having a seizure. #

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• 09:26 Sorry, can't come to work today. Instead I shall be playing Beatles Rock Band. #

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I'm supposed to do a lot of things today, such as go to the Gym, and go Christmas Shopping, but it's raining, and cold, and I've spent most of the day on the couch.  Meh.

Anyway, I just watched a documentary on HBO called Smile Pinki about kids in India with cleft lips/pallets and a group that gives the children plastic surgeries for free.  The charity that does this is called Smile Train and for $250 a child's surgery can be covered.  Apparently there are over one million children with this problem. It was really a good film, and I encourage everyone to visit their website and check out the work they do (6,000 since 2004 and now 3,000 per year).  It really is amazing:

Smiletrain.org

You can also donate at the link.

-K.