I was having a pretty bad day at first. I have been home with Clara (or running errands with Clara) nearly nonstop for about a week and a half, and I'm tired of constant interruptions and not being able to get any real work done. On top of that, this morning for some reason she was extremely fussy, crying and even screaming over next to nothing several times. At once point she was so distraught about dropping her oatmeal that I actually had to pick her up, hold her really tight, and monologue to her in a soothing voice as she calmed down. I was afraid it was going to be like that all day.
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| Here she calmly tries on Easter bunny ears Mimi & GPa sent. |
But it wasn't, at all. First of all, Clara calmed down, much more to her normal self. She wanted to play with her new play food JaMa got her, and we spent sometime pretending to eat things. I also made a FB post asking people to tell me three things they were happy about for the day. I got several dozen comments and that process never fails to soothe me. It is great to see what's going right for everyone, and I think it's kind of nice for them to get to brag a little about accomplishments or just the things going right because I specifically asked them to. :)
Plus, one of the friends who saw my status private messaged me to ask how things are going. This guy isn't someone I'm very close to--we used to be study partners in undergrad, years ago, and we don't keep in very close touch. But it was really enjoyable to catch up with him. He'd been having a frustrating week too so we both vented a little and then talked about what's going right. I marveled again at how FB allows me to have so much adult interaction even when I'm stuck in my own home for days with a toddler. That adult interaction makes a
huge difference.
At some point Jack called me to check in. Turns out he needed to drop by home briefly to pick up some papers in between school stuff. I vented to him as he drove home and then he kept Clara busy for a little bit so I couldn't finish making chocolate fudgy cookie bars uninterrupted. The cookie bars are another joy, not just because they are delicious but because I was baking them as a thank you gift for a family friend who saved Jack and me hundreds on our taxes this year. So I am very grateful for that too.
After Jack left again the afternoon went fine. Clara rotated between watching some of my favorite music videos and playing with me, and I rotated between playing with her and taking care of a few things online. Not long after Jack got home in the afternoon, he put Clara down for a nap (with some but not too much fuss on her part). Then he cleaned up the living room very quickly (it doesn't take long but it has to be done about twice a day because of certain toddlers) and then he took a nap too. So I was left with a very quiet relatively clean apartment plus a great sense of appreciation for my husband.
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| So glad Dad is home. |
I scheduled a few joy inventory posts and then took a nap myself, briefly, on the living room couch. When my alarm went off I got Jack up, we got all ready to go, and then we got Clara up and the three of us went to "Food Truck Mania," a monthly event at a local park. I'd heard of it before but never been and we wanted to check it out. It was really enjoyable! Lots of different food options, wine and beer with proceeds to an animal shelter, free valet bike parking (not that we biked but I appreciate the thought), nice weather, lots of families and dogs for Clara to watch, and a nearby playground that she enjoys.
After we had a brief little family picnic of teriyaki chicken and grilled asparagus (and Jack got a beer), we went to the playground and Jack chased Clara all around while she cooed and squealed and laughed delightedly and I sat and watched and rested.
Of course she didn't want to leave at the end, and at one point she made a break for it and tried to run back to the playground. But once Jack put her in the brand new piggy back position (instead of just on his shoulders) she was happy to "ride" him back to the car.
After we got home I skyped with Neil and Emily while folding a whole lot of laundry. We talked about job hunts and child rearing and dogs and rats (pets). It was nice to spend time with them.
Then Jack and I brought Clara in the bathroom for her third night in a row of bath training, which is basically where Jack gets in the tub (in a swimsuit) and we try to entice her to join him. Each night has been a bit better. Tonight she kept leaning over the tub and sticking her hands in the water, and she seemed much more open to the idea of the water then even two days ago (the first night she fussed as soon as we brought her in and was very cautious about nearing the tub). Eventually I got in the tub with Jack and she stayed at the side of the tub. We got her to stick her feet in while sitting on the side of the tub, and although she didn't keep them in for more than a couple seconds, she also didn't cry. So progress. And in general I'm grateful for a husband who loves his daughter so much and is so involved in us trying to help her.
When we were finished I got her in her PJs and he made her a grilled cheese sandwich (trying to fatten her up) and she went ahead and tried it. This is another victory, as she is exceedingly picky with food. She's been eating it happily while singing along to her Disney playlist as I write this blog post.
I'm wiped now and going to bed, but I just wanted to remember how a bad day turned around, partly thanks to my many online friends and largely thanks to my attentive and loving husband. <3
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