Week 194 motherhood – hiding jenga blocks, family zumbini, playdate in Vaughan

The 3.5 year old stacked these Jenga blocks by herself

Week 194 motherhood with 3 year 8 month old and 17 month old.

May 30 to June 5, 2024:

May 31: Feeling overwhelmed as both kids are so needy. The older one always wants me to look at her do things or answer her questions which are all very repetitive and the same thing. Even after I answer her, she keeps asking me the same thing. I feel like I have to keep my mind on autopilot sometimes when talking to her because I can’t give her all of my focus because it tires me out.
(DH says she chooses me to be the one who answers her questions because she needs reassurance from me — probably because of the incident that happened at JTK. She just needs me.)
The little one has to be watched because she can’t go on high steps or stairs or chairs in case she falls. The best part about the 3 year old is that at least she can be left independently playing for a while because she is capable of walking and being safe (for the most part). The little one could fall from a chair if she’s not careful. She needs me regularly to nurse still.
I am feeling so touched out.
DH mentioned that maybe we should start weaning her or letting her cry it out at night in order to establish a better bedtime routine.
It’s just not easy this week. I’m still a little sick with a cough and cold. The older one is coughing a bit too.
Grandma continues with her volunteering activities.
Thank goodness for DH who is patient and understanding even when I am showing signs of moodiness and neediness too.
June 5. I had a chance to be by myself when I had a doctor’s follow-up point and facial.
DH has been taking both kids to the playground after work which gives me a chance to recuperate mentally and physically at home.
This week, both kids liked to have the cupboard doors open and sit on the bottom shelf to eat their snacks. They follow and copy each other.
The littlest one likes to eat the fruit bars. She likes to hold them and walk around while eating them (which is fine and we let her).
I asked DH to bring up the Jenga blocks from the basement (in storage since we had too many toys on the main floor) for the little one to play with for building and construction play and after he did, the older one saw and hid all of the them by putting them in a neat row all organized in the play kitchen’s drawer. I didn’t even notice they were there until I walked close enough to see it. The precision shows math concepts! Stories of Play would be very proud to see this haha. So crafty that she did this in order to hide it from her sister’s view (it’s too tall for her to see).
We attended the Family Zumbini session on the Saturday. The older one didn’t really want to stand and dance and DH had to hold her at times. The little one loves the silk scarves, wooden sticks, and bells. It was a good family activity nonetheless.
Got a big DD score this week! Found so many meal replacement drinks!!
We had a play date with a friend this week in Vaughan. It was nice for the kids to visit a friend’s house to play together. The older one mostly stuck to DH though.
And I did a “bad”. When we were eating our pizza lunch, the older one was cutting up her pizza as she usually does with her scissors and I was telling my friend about it. The moment I did, the older one knew that I was talking about her and DH noticed she turned away and stopped cutting and eating. Sigh. It was my bad. I shouldn’t have been talking about her in front of her which caused her to not feel comfortable. Sorry baby. 😦
This is in direct connection with what we are learning at Triple P — everything we do affects the child. Our behaviour and words affect them.
After the play date, we visited a new park in Richmond Hill where there was a green dinosaur (the other park had a purple dinosaur). The kids had a lot of fun exploring the playground, climbing on the play structures, using the slides, swings. Both kids in the swings is such a cute thing.
For the first time, I witnessed the older one climb on to the play structures by herself confidently and without me having to go up with her. I know DH has been seeing this a lot when he brings her to the park. She went down the really tall slides too! She went on all of them actually (there were more than 5 different slides). I’m really glad that she isn’t fearful and can play daringly.
Just before we left the park, there was an older lady and her friend who were riding on the dinosaur. She yelled out to my 3 year old to say hi and join her on the dinosaur seat behind her. Of course my 3 year old didn’t want to — she was a stranger after all. Immediately following this exchange, she wanted to leave. It’s too bad that our playground trip was cut short because of the lady trying to get the child to ride on the dinosaur too. She doesn’t know how to read the room. Not all kids want to play with strangers…
I shouldn’t feel guilty when I let DH bring the kids to the park to play and I’m not there to “see them,” see their every milestone, etc. because I need to have some me time and take care of myself in order to be a good mom.
On the Monday, we had the Triple P session. This time, DH came with me and it was good for us to be on the same page.
On the Tuesday, DH went with the older one to the 5th session of the Seamless Transitions program. She still didn’t separate but at least she was willing to eat her snacks with the others this time. A parent brought cupcakes too for all the kids.
When the little one doesn’t get what she wants, she will dramatically fall to the floor and wail. She will stay there until someone picks her up. It is so dramatic lol.
She likes to blink her eyes and squint them too when we mention eyes. It’s too cute.
When we ask her to identify her body parts, she can identify her eyes, ears, mouth, nose, etc.
She likes to stand on the stool like her sister these days. We always have to watch her.
She likes to stand at the learning tower and play with the water all the time. She cries when we take her away.