Lesson 1...

Day at the Park
Originally uploaded by tmesiab

Lesson of the weekend: DO NOT GAMBLE WITH NAPTIME...IF YOU THINK YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN JUST PUSH IT UNTIL LATER, THINK AGAIN.

I promised a little someone that Id take her to the park...and being that we have a newborn in the home (and are minus one parent) we got out of the house a little later than expected. I figured that we'd play and get tuckered out and then have a late nap. Well...let me tell you. My theory of how the day would go did not go as planned. Not even loosely.

We excitedly arrived at a cool park I knew of and thus began our adventure on a cheery note. As I got our little bundle of joy into my brand new Moby, I got myself somewhat tangled up...the Monster waited as patiently as any two year old could...Once I was sufficiently wrapped and the baby tucked in nicely, I got out the Monster and we trotted off happily towards the lake. I figured we'd get to the play area last, since it was closer to the car...

As soon as we get down to the lake, Mini Monster starts up a racket so loud, the birds are flying away startled...I insist that we go back to the car and nurse him and intice the Monster with a snack. She follows warily. Once we get where its warm and I can nurse somewhat comfortably, Mini Monster (aka M&M) lets us know why he's so cranky by farting and pooping like Ive only known his father to. Changing a baby in the front seat of a honda with a toddler jumping from front to back is a challenge.

We eventually get out and head back to the lake and then up to the play area with only a couple of protests from M&M. The Monster is thrilled to see the shiny new big toys they built at this park and climbs up and around as fearlessly as any mostly-shy two year old does. Which is to say that she climbed up and then promptly climbed back down once she saw all the other bigger kids running around her.

When it was time to go, I did the usual warning. "5 minutes!"..."Okay, 3 more minutes, sweety!"...."Time to go!" ...."No, no....I said we're going now!"...."Alrighty then! Bye! See ya later....Im going now!" And of course, she didnt come.

When I finally get the crying and snotty little girl (my Monster) to the car, she's arching her back in a horrible way, forcing me to shove her back into the seat just to buckle her in. She proceeded to have a strapped in tantrum all the way home and into her room....for the dreaded nap...

She did not nap.

Lesson learned.