Around The Home
Here’s a post about this crazy mama and her little side kick!
With Dan being gone, we’ve realized the days go MUCH better when we keep busy! Cabin fever for both of us set in on about day 2, so Mazy and I decided after a little pow-wow that we needed to do something everyday. Granted we go on multiple bike rides and walks everyday, but I mean GO somewhere. Even if it’s just to tinker around in a store, it’s something to do. I realize I don’t have much of a life, considering that when Dan left, there went all of my activities too! Therefore I am thankful for friends who keep me on my toes!
We are definitely missing Dan, but we are all doing well. Dan is having an amazing time in Haiti and things are going very well there! If you want to stay up to date with what is going on, here is their blog: www.sryghaiti.blogspot.com. There aren’t any pictures because they are unable to load them, but the words definitely create the picture.
I would say Mazy has struggled a bit not having her daddy around. She asks for him many times a day. She has been much more clingy and you can tell she misses the love she gets from him, but it is just for a short time. I am not sure what to call it, but she has almost shown some anxiety this past week – she is starting to pull out her hair and at times, tries to eat it. Not that the internet has every answer, but I am realizing that it might be correlated to the fact that Dan is gone. I’m telling you, he is an amazing dad! He rough houses with her and gives her that male attention she loves from her daddy, and I just don’t cut it. We know she has always been a bit more sensitive with many things, but this week has been very eye-opening! Dan has been gone for a week many time before, but for some reason, this is just different and she is acting different. So I am now trying extra hard to give her high-sensory love and she has responded incredibly well to that. Does she have high-sensory needs? Not exactly sure (though it seems she is starting to), but all I know is that she is a different kid when we do high-sensory things with her. So until Dan comes home, we will continue to do those things!
So here is what our week has looked like:
Going to the park to swing is a favorite time of day for her. We have a swing at home, but it doesn’t go as high as the one at the park, which she LOVES! She screams with excitement and giggles – just priceless! Oh, and makes funny faces.
Her face says it all!
Everyday is a water table day too. She gets soaking wet every time, but it is completely worth it!
As one of our things to do everyday, we went to a small zoo at a park about 30-45 minutes away. There were about 8 animals there, but really, we could have spent that whole hour watching the geese! She just kept talking to them and they would “talk” back to her. SO ADORABLE!
As always, Mazy struggles to go to sleep at night, and on one particular night, I walked in to this: all of her blankets and stuffed animals thrown to the ground. As you can tell by her face, she was pretty proud of herself! Not sure how she expected to sleep with nothing to sleep with!
The things you do for your daughter – she doesn’t like to wear a bib, so I decided maybe if I put one on, she would keep hers on. It actually worked! For about 5 minutes…
She was in need of some lovin’!
Since Dan left, she will not walk at all, like not even from the couch to me. She will walk around furniture, but that is it. Hopefully when Dan gets back, she will gain that confidence back.
I have been teaching her to say “cheese” for the camera and maybe how to make a few silly faces
Yes, my sweet girl tends to feel the same way when her daddy is out of town too. She gets very fussy and is constantly looking out for him to come home. I got her a big photo of the two of them together and put it on the floor up against the wall so she could look at it whenever she wanted. The photo seemed to help. We also recorded video of daddy reading books etc, that made her very confused and even more sad. She couldn't understand why daddy was in front of her talking etc but not really here. And he was so small and on the screen, it weirded her out. But just the photo was good. And also doing fun stuff. But they also rough house a bit and she misses that too. Mama is too gentle with her girl. So I try to play similar games as daddy does.
Oh and she also refuses to wear her bib too. I gave up on the bibs since she just pulls them all off. But if we have no time to change a dirty outfit and I need her clean, I use a disposable bib since they have tabs that really stick together — even those she pulls them apart. One thing she likes, which Mazy may find enjoyable, is learning new skills. Like today we got Popsicle sticks and a piece of carboard, I punched holes with the scissors in the back and stuck the sticks in the holes. She pulled them all out and I got her hand and was teaching her how to put them in and out of the holes. Simple but fun… I look up on the internet little things to try. I look up toddler sensory activities, or sensory learning. We got the macaroni and poured into a big bowl and she reached in etc. I keep the paci in her mouth so she doesn't eat it. Play dough does not work, she keeps eating it.