I'm a teacher. That's why I haven't posted since December (i.e. Christmas Break). While looking forward to Summer, and by looking forward to I mean longing for, feeling like it would never get here, and begging God to make time go faster, I did not consider that I needed a bag of tricks to entertain my three-year-old. I mean, Disney Jr. can't do it all.
So, when Summer finally got here I set out to locate some entertainment. One rainy day, when going to the park was impossible, we decided to check out The Mad Potter on Woodway and Voss. I painted a plate, and J painted a multi-hued race car. (Despite 5 different coats of paint, the race car ended up looking pretty cool.) Since I wanted to keep working on my plate after she dumped a pile of paint on her car, she also painted a couple of little figurines, including a dragonfly and a peace sign.
The Mad Potter was super fun, though a bit expensive. (My platter was $22.00). The great thing about it is you can get something usable, like my platter, while doing a fun activity. They fire any masterpieces you create in a kiln, and painters can pick them up a couple of days later. All the dishes are dishwasher safe, woo-hoo! (In my opinion, anything you can't put in the dishwasher or wash-machine is worthless. Dry-clean only? Yeah, because I have SO MUCH TIME to go to the dry cleaners, drop stuff off and pick it up while unloading my three-year-old and keeping her from going for a ride on the clothing carousel while I try to pay. My dry cleaning sits in the closet so long people in the future will probably find my dry-cleaning fossilized under a pile of rubble.)
Anyways, I used my platter tonight, and I like the way it turned out. It is the perfect size for a 12-inch pizza. I don't know how The Mad Potter does it, but whatever you paint comes out fully-glossed and semi professional-looking.
We also saw a princess birthday party for a group of girls while we were there. Everyone dressed like a princess and painted unicorns. They ate a platter of chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A and fruit, which I thought was a great idea.
It is nice that The Mad Potter is across the parking lot from Buffalo Grille. They have the most AMAZING food, and it's moderately priced. Voss Creamery is in the parking lot as well if you want to get a treat post-painting.
This could be a fun date night, too. Buffalo Grill serves dinner, and it's got a really nice laid back vibe. (The pecan crusted catfish is insanely good. The sauce is to die for!) The Mad Potter allows you to drink wine while painting, and you can make something for the house, like a platter or a mug, if you're feeling artsy. They have a designated "date night" every Friday.
So, all in all, this is a great place for a rainy day. They also have locations in River Oaks and Bellaire. You don't have to make an appointment, and you can bring food or eat at one of the locations nearby when someone announces they're hungry.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Monday, December 30, 2013
The Sippy Cup Debacle
Long have I been on a quest for the perfect sippy cup. Oh, golden sippy cup of perfection thou art as elusive as the Holy Grail. (I've been reading Shakespeare lately, bear with me.) Here is the combo of issues I've found with sippy cups:
1) The spill guard that could double as a Mensa puzzle. A cup shouldn't come with instructions. I'm sure these cups would work great if anyone could ever figure out how to put them back together the way they work in the package.
2) The sippy cup with the pieces that don't fit back where they are supposed to. This is a continuation of number one, except that it only has one piece that doesn't fit back where it is supposed to go. It's like the piece expands after it is removed or something.
3) The drippy cup. All seems to be going well until your toddler abandons the cup, and it is left sideways on the carpet. Then, you find a puddle of juice under the cup that makes you wonder what the point of the cryptex-like spill guard was for.
4) The hand wash only. Really? Really!? Because parents don't have enough to do without forgoing our dishwashers and hand washing all of our children's utensils.
5) The cups that crack or lose their tops when thrown on the grown by an angry toddler. Much to my toddler's satisfaction, this has happened to us several times. There's nothing like an explosion of juice all over the kitchen to put the cherry on top of a total melt-down.
After finding all of these issues with sippy cups I've narrowed it down to a few that I find usable. I still have some of the above issues with them, but I find that these cups are durable and can be used many times. I have even washed them in (gasp!) the dishwasher with good results.
Favorite: The Nuk Learner Cup- I like this one for several reasons. The silicone sippy nipple can be interchanged with Nuk's bottle nipples which was great when she was little because the cup could switch to a small bottle. Nuk always comes out with new designs, and we've been obsessed with Mickey for a while around here. It helps when J likes the designs because she is more likely to be agreeable. The handles can be easily removed and put back on for cleaning purposes, which is super helpful. Even our thick Kefir will flow through the spout, and the cup is dishwasher friendly. The silicone nipples are dishwasher friendly as well, but I find they last longer if I hand wash them, so I bite the bullet and hand wash those. My only complaint with these is that they do not have replacement silicone spouts available for purchase at most stores.
Favorite: Tommee Tippee Truly Spill Proof Spout Cup- I like this one because it's good for bigger kids. The spout is harder, so it is not like a bottle. It is also super durable, and the clear plastic lets you see how much liquid is left in it. The things I don't like about it are that the top can be hard to screw on which can cause leaks, and the spill guard contains two small pieces, which can be difficult to keep track of. However, the cup washes very nicely in the dishwasher, though I do hand wash the spill guard parts.
Favorite: Tommee Tippy Truly Spill Proof Drink Cup- This one is cool because bigger kids can drink out of it, and it is shaped like a real cup. It also has some insulation, which is nice. It is really durable and washes well in the dishwasher. The cons are the same as their Spout Cup. The spill guard has small pieces, and the lid will leak a lot if it isn't screwed on perfectly. One other cool thing about Tommee Tippee is that all of their lids are interchangeable. So, if you want to put the lid from the Spout Cup on the insulated Drink Cup, you can. The spill guards are also interchangeable. So, if you lose a spill guard for one cup, you can use one from another. It would be nice to find replacement spill guards sold separately from cups since it is easy to lose the small pieces.
Didn't Like: Avent Natural Drinking Cup- This one is totally good in theory. In practice, it's not so good. My toddler figured out pretty quickly that she could push down on the top and dump the contents of the cup out. This cup is also hard to clean, take apart and put back together. It wasn't my favorite. This cup and I had many battles before the bulky top fell into the bottom of the dishwasher and melted.
Didn't Like: Avent Spout Cup- This one has a silicone ring under the spout, used as a spill guard. I find the ring difficult to remove and replace. I have also found that if the ring is not carefully removed, washed and dried, it will mold, which is gross. I'm also not a fan of the bulky lid that covers the spout of the cup. The design of the entire top makes it difficult to fit into the dishwasher because it is so bulky. The cup works, and it is durable. However, it is really difficult and time consuming to clean, and the bulky lid bothers my toddler because it gets in the way when she is trying to drink out of the cup.
That's it for now, but I will be back with bottle reviews. I like to share the information because I've found that it helps to hear from other parents. When I first had my daughter and saw all of the bottles available, I thought my head was going to explode. I was staring at them thinking, "One is shaped like a real nipple, and one helps with gas, and one is cheap, and one is expensive, and one has pretty flowers, and if I pick the wrong one my baby will surely staaarrrvvvveeee!!!!" (I tend to be a little on the dramatic side at times.) Clearly she made it past the bottle stage and into the sippy cup stage, so it all worked out.
1) The spill guard that could double as a Mensa puzzle. A cup shouldn't come with instructions. I'm sure these cups would work great if anyone could ever figure out how to put them back together the way they work in the package.
2) The sippy cup with the pieces that don't fit back where they are supposed to. This is a continuation of number one, except that it only has one piece that doesn't fit back where it is supposed to go. It's like the piece expands after it is removed or something.
3) The drippy cup. All seems to be going well until your toddler abandons the cup, and it is left sideways on the carpet. Then, you find a puddle of juice under the cup that makes you wonder what the point of the cryptex-like spill guard was for.
4) The hand wash only. Really? Really!? Because parents don't have enough to do without forgoing our dishwashers and hand washing all of our children's utensils.
5) The cups that crack or lose their tops when thrown on the grown by an angry toddler. Much to my toddler's satisfaction, this has happened to us several times. There's nothing like an explosion of juice all over the kitchen to put the cherry on top of a total melt-down.
After finding all of these issues with sippy cups I've narrowed it down to a few that I find usable. I still have some of the above issues with them, but I find that these cups are durable and can be used many times. I have even washed them in (gasp!) the dishwasher with good results.
Favorites:
Sippy Cup Champions; Guardians of Mommy's Sanity
Favorite: The Nuk Learner Cup- I like this one for several reasons. The silicone sippy nipple can be interchanged with Nuk's bottle nipples which was great when she was little because the cup could switch to a small bottle. Nuk always comes out with new designs, and we've been obsessed with Mickey for a while around here. It helps when J likes the designs because she is more likely to be agreeable. The handles can be easily removed and put back on for cleaning purposes, which is super helpful. Even our thick Kefir will flow through the spout, and the cup is dishwasher friendly. The silicone nipples are dishwasher friendly as well, but I find they last longer if I hand wash them, so I bite the bullet and hand wash those. My only complaint with these is that they do not have replacement silicone spouts available for purchase at most stores.
Favorite: Tommee Tippee Truly Spill Proof Spout Cup- I like this one because it's good for bigger kids. The spout is harder, so it is not like a bottle. It is also super durable, and the clear plastic lets you see how much liquid is left in it. The things I don't like about it are that the top can be hard to screw on which can cause leaks, and the spill guard contains two small pieces, which can be difficult to keep track of. However, the cup washes very nicely in the dishwasher, though I do hand wash the spill guard parts.
Favorite: Tommee Tippy Truly Spill Proof Drink Cup- This one is cool because bigger kids can drink out of it, and it is shaped like a real cup. It also has some insulation, which is nice. It is really durable and washes well in the dishwasher. The cons are the same as their Spout Cup. The spill guard has small pieces, and the lid will leak a lot if it isn't screwed on perfectly. One other cool thing about Tommee Tippee is that all of their lids are interchangeable. So, if you want to put the lid from the Spout Cup on the insulated Drink Cup, you can. The spill guards are also interchangeable. So, if you lose a spill guard for one cup, you can use one from another. It would be nice to find replacement spill guards sold separately from cups since it is easy to lose the small pieces.
Least Favorites: Not helpful to Mommy's Sanity
Didn't Like: Avent Natural Drinking Cup- This one is totally good in theory. In practice, it's not so good. My toddler figured out pretty quickly that she could push down on the top and dump the contents of the cup out. This cup is also hard to clean, take apart and put back together. It wasn't my favorite. This cup and I had many battles before the bulky top fell into the bottom of the dishwasher and melted.
Didn't Like: Avent Spout Cup- This one has a silicone ring under the spout, used as a spill guard. I find the ring difficult to remove and replace. I have also found that if the ring is not carefully removed, washed and dried, it will mold, which is gross. I'm also not a fan of the bulky lid that covers the spout of the cup. The design of the entire top makes it difficult to fit into the dishwasher because it is so bulky. The cup works, and it is durable. However, it is really difficult and time consuming to clean, and the bulky lid bothers my toddler because it gets in the way when she is trying to drink out of the cup.
That's it for now, but I will be back with bottle reviews. I like to share the information because I've found that it helps to hear from other parents. When I first had my daughter and saw all of the bottles available, I thought my head was going to explode. I was staring at them thinking, "One is shaped like a real nipple, and one helps with gas, and one is cheap, and one is expensive, and one has pretty flowers, and if I pick the wrong one my baby will surely staaarrrvvvveeee!!!!" (I tend to be a little on the dramatic side at times.) Clearly she made it past the bottle stage and into the sippy cup stage, so it all worked out.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
The Run Away
After nap time today I thought that perhaps getting outside would help my toddler get some of her tantrum energy out, so we walked the dog to the park in the middle of our complex. It went really well at first. The dog enjoyed a nice poop where everyone could see. My daughter announced, "The doggie is pooping!" in case anyone might not have noticed. I stood there and tried to make the fact that I brought my pick-up baggies obvious. My daughter chased her red ball around the park, and we threw the ball back and forth. Then, we walked on the walking trail around the park, stopping frequently to admire special blades of grass, leaves and various other objects of intense toddler interest. It was a beautiful day enjoying the oak trees and the park until...
It was time to go home. At first my daughter complied. We were going to follow the trail back towards our place. (The trail had rocks on it- yay!) Then she stopped. So, I stopped, and said, "Aren't we following the trail?" She looked at me, smiled, cackled, and took off. J is fast, and she doesn't get tired. She might be a cross-country star when she gets big. I called her and told her to come back, and she ignored me. So, I stood there and watched her run circles around the park, still cackling. I thought if I chased her, she would just run further, and I had the dog to drag along with me. Prior to this day J would get scared once she got a certain distance from me and come back. NOT today.
She looked at me, cackled again, and RAN into an alley between the apartments. I had never been over on that side before, so I didn't even know where it went. Panicked I ran after her, dragging the dog with me. When I came out of the alleyway I was in another small, dim courtyard with trees. Everything was a the gray color things are right at twilight, and the trees added an eerie green to the gray. Even eerier was that it was perfectly silent. My daughter was not there, and there were three different ways she could have gone. My heart dropped. I was yelled her name, and I was answered by a loud cackle. Flying towards the noise, I saw her disappear around a corner and run up the stairs to a parking garage. I yelled in my most desperate, angry, mom-voice, "Julie STOP! CARS!" Then she stopped and started to cry. She knew she had put herself in danger because she knows she's always supposed to hold hands in parking lots. Thank goodness I've taught her cars are dangerous and to hold hands in parking lots and when crossing the street.
I sat her down right there and told her what she did was very dangerous, and that we were going straight home. I ended up leaving her ball at the park because about half way through the walk home she decided that she still wasn't going home, and she dropped to the ground and then laid on the ground, glaring at me in protest. I couldn't carry her, hold the dog leash, and carry the ball, and I explained that to her. We left the ball in the park. Hopefully, it will bring another family more happiness than it has brought me. The red ball plus my toddler equals trouble around here.
So now after today, walks to the park have been temporarily suspended. We did not watch TV in the evening because she threw a tantrum and hit me when I turned it off earlier in the day. (I reminded her of that event, and she said she remembered.) The red ball is gone for good. (Sorry, red ball, it wasn't working out.) We also had four time-outs for various other offenses like water play with the bathroom sink water. Now she is finally sleeping. Sweet relief!
It was time to go home. At first my daughter complied. We were going to follow the trail back towards our place. (The trail had rocks on it- yay!) Then she stopped. So, I stopped, and said, "Aren't we following the trail?" She looked at me, smiled, cackled, and took off. J is fast, and she doesn't get tired. She might be a cross-country star when she gets big. I called her and told her to come back, and she ignored me. So, I stood there and watched her run circles around the park, still cackling. I thought if I chased her, she would just run further, and I had the dog to drag along with me. Prior to this day J would get scared once she got a certain distance from me and come back. NOT today.
She looked at me, cackled again, and RAN into an alley between the apartments. I had never been over on that side before, so I didn't even know where it went. Panicked I ran after her, dragging the dog with me. When I came out of the alleyway I was in another small, dim courtyard with trees. Everything was a the gray color things are right at twilight, and the trees added an eerie green to the gray. Even eerier was that it was perfectly silent. My daughter was not there, and there were three different ways she could have gone. My heart dropped. I was yelled her name, and I was answered by a loud cackle. Flying towards the noise, I saw her disappear around a corner and run up the stairs to a parking garage. I yelled in my most desperate, angry, mom-voice, "Julie STOP! CARS!" Then she stopped and started to cry. She knew she had put herself in danger because she knows she's always supposed to hold hands in parking lots. Thank goodness I've taught her cars are dangerous and to hold hands in parking lots and when crossing the street.
I sat her down right there and told her what she did was very dangerous, and that we were going straight home. I ended up leaving her ball at the park because about half way through the walk home she decided that she still wasn't going home, and she dropped to the ground and then laid on the ground, glaring at me in protest. I couldn't carry her, hold the dog leash, and carry the ball, and I explained that to her. We left the ball in the park. Hopefully, it will bring another family more happiness than it has brought me. The red ball plus my toddler equals trouble around here.
So now after today, walks to the park have been temporarily suspended. We did not watch TV in the evening because she threw a tantrum and hit me when I turned it off earlier in the day. (I reminded her of that event, and she said she remembered.) The red ball is gone for good. (Sorry, red ball, it wasn't working out.) We also had four time-outs for various other offenses like water play with the bathroom sink water. Now she is finally sleeping. Sweet relief!
The Love Hate Phase
Lately I've been realizing that two-year-olds all go through almost the exact same phases because my cousin will say something about her daughter's newest phase. Her daughter is six months behind my daughter in age, so I am regularly reminded of my daughter's most memorable toddler phases. Currently, my cousin's daughter, E, is going through The Mommy Phase. My cousin is saying that she can't get anything done because E is glued to her leg every second. By glued I mean won't let go, even if she is trying to walk. I remember it well. My daughter, J, did it too.
J and I are in a different phase now, though. I thought The Mommy Phase was rough, but The Love Hate phase (my name for it) is worse. I learned online today that some psychologists call this phase 1st adolescence because the struggle for independence is similar to the struggle children go through in adolescence. This morning my daughter had taken off her nightgown in bed. After that she refused to wear any more clothing other than her diaper, which she thought about for a while first. We weren't going anywhere, and I didn't feel like fighting her, so I just let her run around in her diaper. I had some potty training underwear we were going to try, but she really didn't want to wear those. (By really didn't want to, I mean she took them off and threw them across the room after I wrestled them on her.)
I call this phase The Love Hate Phase because she wants me around all of the time, just like in The Mommy Phase. However, much of the time she also really doesn't like me. She tests me all of the time. For example, earlier she was bouncing a ball in the house. I told her to stop bouncing the ball in the house, so she went in the kitchen to bounce the ball. I told her to stop bouncing the ball again, and she started screaming, "NO!" and throwing the ball. I walked over to talk to her about it, and she laughed and ran away. When I caught up with her I took the ball and told her I was putting it up because we only bounce and throw balls outside, and she wasn't listing to me. That was when the tantrum ensued. She pushed and hit me. She fell on the floor screaming. She thrashed and kicked. She threw things. This has been happening several times a day for the last couple of weeks.
Then she put herself in her room and closed the door yelling, "NO MOMMY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" I don't really know why because I'm not bothering her. I'm actually quite happy she's decided to stay in her room because that's where I was about to put her anyways. She seems pretty serious about me leaving her alone, though. If I really leave her alone, she will be devastated and want me to come back. It's a love-hate relationship. "Leave me alone," must be some sort of toddler language meaning, "I'm frustrated with you, and I don't know why." I sure wish she could tell me, though. These are the worst tantrums she's ever had, and I really hope we move through them soon!
J and I are in a different phase now, though. I thought The Mommy Phase was rough, but The Love Hate phase (my name for it) is worse. I learned online today that some psychologists call this phase 1st adolescence because the struggle for independence is similar to the struggle children go through in adolescence. This morning my daughter had taken off her nightgown in bed. After that she refused to wear any more clothing other than her diaper, which she thought about for a while first. We weren't going anywhere, and I didn't feel like fighting her, so I just let her run around in her diaper. I had some potty training underwear we were going to try, but she really didn't want to wear those. (By really didn't want to, I mean she took them off and threw them across the room after I wrestled them on her.)
I call this phase The Love Hate Phase because she wants me around all of the time, just like in The Mommy Phase. However, much of the time she also really doesn't like me. She tests me all of the time. For example, earlier she was bouncing a ball in the house. I told her to stop bouncing the ball in the house, so she went in the kitchen to bounce the ball. I told her to stop bouncing the ball again, and she started screaming, "NO!" and throwing the ball. I walked over to talk to her about it, and she laughed and ran away. When I caught up with her I took the ball and told her I was putting it up because we only bounce and throw balls outside, and she wasn't listing to me. That was when the tantrum ensued. She pushed and hit me. She fell on the floor screaming. She thrashed and kicked. She threw things. This has been happening several times a day for the last couple of weeks.
Then she put herself in her room and closed the door yelling, "NO MOMMY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" I don't really know why because I'm not bothering her. I'm actually quite happy she's decided to stay in her room because that's where I was about to put her anyways. She seems pretty serious about me leaving her alone, though. If I really leave her alone, she will be devastated and want me to come back. It's a love-hate relationship. "Leave me alone," must be some sort of toddler language meaning, "I'm frustrated with you, and I don't know why." I sure wish she could tell me, though. These are the worst tantrums she's ever had, and I really hope we move through them soon!
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