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06
Feb, 2012
My Sweet Little Turkey Gets Sweeter
Aubrey made this all by herself - it's Dr Frankenstein in case you couldn't tell.
I share custody of Aubrey with her dad and the last couple days have been the first child-free days I’ve had in what feels like an eon. With Aubrey’s work schedule, the awards shows and then her dad travelling, it was non-stop gogogo, just Aubrey and me. It was fun, but exhausting. Like really exhausting.
After weeks like these, it’s always a bag of mixed emotions sending the kiddo off to her dad’s. Relief on one hand and sadness on the other. I do miss her and I miss having her here… except when I’m getting a full 7-8 hours of sleep. Then I’m feeling pretty ok about everything.
My friends with older kids have told me about this magical time when your child transitions out of the insanity of 3 and 4 years and turns into a delightful and charming 5 year old and I’m starting to see it happen!
Three into four was tough and I was warned. My wise mom friends said three into four makes the “terrible twos” feel like a cake walk in the park and they were right. Aubrey was a charming and easy two year old and compared to some of the insane 3 and 4 year olds I’ve met, she wasn’t too bad during her crazy days, but it was exhausting, nonetheless.
The happiest person
I’m happy to report the days of physical tantrums, the defiance, the crying for no apparent reason, the whining over every little thing… these things seem to be (I’m afraid to say it lest I jinx myself) GONE! Particularly over the last month, Aubrey has been the sweetest and easiest kid on the planet.
Even a few days ago, when I asked her to pick up her toys, she actually responded, “OK Mommy. I’ll do it right away!” WHAAAT?!! I almost died of a heart attack and I thought to myself, “OK, I must be doing SOMETHING right… Right?!”
She has been extra snuggly, extra sweet, extra cute, extra fun and extra polite. This recent development of super greatness makes me miss her even more when she’s gone.
My spring college shows start up this week which means more time away from my special pal. I’m proud of my career and so grateful to be working but I feel the pangs of guilt and thinking about these magical days slipping by so quickly breaks my heart. If only I could stay home with her when she’s so sweet and go on tour when she’s in time out. HA!
For any of you in the crazy days of three and four, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel! And to all the negative Nellys out there who have to chime in with, “Well just wait 10 years, it comes back!” Yeah yeah yeah, blah blah blah. I’m taking my cue from Aubrey and trying to live in the moment, enjoying these sweet, wonderful days when she still fits in my lap for as long as I possibly can.
That would be my arm and Nelly accompanying Aubrey down the SAG Awards red carpet
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Tags: Amy Anderson • Aubrey Anderson-Emmons • four year olds • parenting • preschoolers • single parenting • terrible twos • three year olds
23
Jan, 2012
MomsLA Post: My Sweet Little Nelly (And I'm Not Talking About The Rapper)
I have a new post up at MomsLA and it’s about something in this photo. And it’s not my kid…well not totally. Click to read:
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| Modern Family Wins The Golden Globe! |
Tags: Amy Anderson • Aubrey Anderson-Emmons • awards season • Golden Globes • Lily • Modern Family • motherhood • parenting • preschoolers • security blanket • thumb sucking
22
Feb, 2010
I Love You. You're Disgusting.
Ready for a little TMI? If you’re not, then too bad. Read about the glamour, the beauty of the motherhood that is my reality right now. I dare you…
I was ill prepared for how disgusting motherhood would be. It started right away too – pregnancy is so gross. I don’t care how much you LOVED being pregnant (I didn’t), you have to admit it was rude. The gallons of toxic vaginal mucous and crusty stuff coming out of my nipples made me wish I had saved all those latte dollars for a surrogate.
At any rate, I made it through. Then came the super yucky delivery – placenta pate anyone? Truly horrifying recovery – fourth degree tear, couldn’t wipe my ass clean after a bowel movement for almost two months. And infancy – poop pee poop pee poop pee and so on and so on and so on. I had changed dirty diapers before, as a babysitter in my teens, but I was really disenchanted by the other grossness of motherhood.
My little girl, Aubrey, is almost three. Three in June. She’s sweet and kind. Snuggly and girly. She loves her baby doll and her stuffed animals. She loves to smell flowers and help mommy bake in the kitchen. She’s also the grossest person I’ve ever met. Every day seems to bring a new level of yuck into our home, especially since using the toilet is still so funny, exciting and scary all at once. Lots of potty talk.
Now, before I go any further, I’d like to state that I do NOT have a weak stomach. I grew up with three older brothers and it’s almost impossible to truly gross me out. I just can’t believe how rude motherhood can be.
These are three actual, verbatim conversations I’ve had with Aubrey recently:
(Opening to Aubrey’s bedroom door upon waking up in the morning.)
Aubrey: Mommy! Look! (running up her bed to her pillow, pointing to a gray, crusty blob on the wall) That came out of my nose!!
Me: Wow! That’s great sweetie! Is that a big boogie?
Aubrey: YEAH!!
(She was SO excited.)
(Aubrey sitting on the toilet but not going potty, starts poking around down under. Like REALLY down under, to door number two. Then she sniffs her index finger and yells.)
Aubrey: What’s that smell?! (holding her finger out to me) Smell it mommy!
Me: No thank you. I don’t want to smell your finger. Are you done trying? Let’s wash your hands.
(Aubrey is digging ferociously in her ear with her pinky. She pulls it out and offers it to me.)
Aubrey: Taste it mommy!
Me: Ummmm… no thanks.
I often wonder why I still like this person. If this were an adult, I would not want to hang out with them. Young children are so primal – like little animals. Sometimes I feel like I have a magical talking pet in the house. And it’s times like these that make me realize the mother child bond really is something special. There’s no one else in the world whose offer of “smell my finger” after touching their butt, would make me laugh and inspire me to write.
I know it’s my job to teach her it’s inappropriate to do these things. The trick is to do it without making her ashamed of or self conscious about her body or feel like she’s naughty for exploring her world. It’s a fine line and no one wants their child to be the gross-out kid at school.
I’m enjoying the humor in all of this while I can because I know, soon enough, my daughter will be a big kid who likes the feeling of being clean, washing her hands and brushing her teeth all on her own. I think it’s right around that time she will start thinking I’m totally lame and embarrassing and I’ll be writing about ungratefulness instead. So for now, I’ll take the boogers and stinky fingers in exchange for all the hugs, kisses and I love you mommys. Totally worth it. Gross, but worth it.
Tags: Amy Anderson • Aubrey • parenting • potty training • toddler behavior
