Alanna loves science and asking questions. So we've been trying to encourage her interest and teaching her when we have the opportunity. For example, we made sure she got to see the lunar eclipse recently and understood what it was. We also bought some books with lots of little science experiments you can do at home to start working through on family nights.
When we were in Target a few weeks ago she spotted the Sea Monkeys. For those of you who aren't familiar with sea monkeys they are a type of brine shrimp that you can raise and used to be advertised in the backs of comic books. http://www.sea-monkeys.com/
So we got the sea monkeys, brought them home, poured in the little egg pouch and waited. They hatched, she thought they were neat swimming around, we explained the science behind it, and they grew.
Now I have a little container of Sea Monkeys that I'm not sure what to do with. Alanna has pretty much lost interest. There are about 15 of the little guys who are swimming around and I still am feeding them. I'd feel guilty not feeding them or flushing them or otherwise 'disposing' of them.
What does one do with unwanted Sea Monkeys anyway? I have a hunch I can't take them to the Humane Society ;)
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
I Don't Wanna Grow Up!!!
Last night out of nowhere Alanna started crying after bedtime. We asked what was wrong and in between sobs she declared, "I don't want to be a grown up ever!"
We explained that she had a very long time to still be a child and that eventually she would have to be a grown up but that she could still have fun.
That didn't fly. The tears poured down, the shrill little tantrum voice started and she declared "I DON'T WANNA GROW UP!!! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO SO I STAY A KID FOREVER!!!"
Thinking I was really smart, I asked her, "Honey, does Daddy act like a grown up or like a kid?" I was banking on the fact that Daddy acts goofier than Mommy and does more rough house play like snowball fights than I do. It didn't work. She replied, "A grown up."
Daddy saved the day. Jeb looked at her and smoothed her hair and said, "Honey, how about if Daddy promises to do everything possible so that you're always younger than he is?" Tricky. Alanna was happy with it though and the tantrum stopped and she went back to bed.
Oh sweetie, if only you knew how many times we grown ups wish we were still kids. This is a tantrum I still have.
We explained that she had a very long time to still be a child and that eventually she would have to be a grown up but that she could still have fun.
That didn't fly. The tears poured down, the shrill little tantrum voice started and she declared "I DON'T WANNA GROW UP!!! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO SO I STAY A KID FOREVER!!!"
Thinking I was really smart, I asked her, "Honey, does Daddy act like a grown up or like a kid?" I was banking on the fact that Daddy acts goofier than Mommy and does more rough house play like snowball fights than I do. It didn't work. She replied, "A grown up."
Daddy saved the day. Jeb looked at her and smoothed her hair and said, "Honey, how about if Daddy promises to do everything possible so that you're always younger than he is?" Tricky. Alanna was happy with it though and the tantrum stopped and she went back to bed.
Oh sweetie, if only you knew how many times we grown ups wish we were still kids. This is a tantrum I still have.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Medicine with Marshmallows
Alanna shares my childhood dislike of syrup medicines. In the past when she's been sick the medicine battle has been a painful one that to a third party observer may be considered comical. Getting syrup medicine down here often includes at least one change of clothes for all parties involved as well as a bath sometimes and half a bottle of wasted medicine on the floor. Sometimes it's involved one parent holding the child semi upside down while the other tries desperately to get the medicine in her mouth.
In an effort to avoid these battles we switched over to chewable medicine and those little strips that dissolve on the tongue. To be honest though, they really don't seem to work as well as the syrups do for the symptoms.
The latest cold has been a doozy and I prepared myself for the syrup battle. This time I thought I'd try the bribery up front and told her she could have a marshmallow (the cute little bunny Easter ones that are out right now) if she took the syrup. I also offered to put it in a syringe and let her push the plunger. I even offered a bonus sticker for her sticker chart if she was a big girl about taking her medicine. Visuals of grape syrup all over can be very motivating to a mommy.
Now I was thinking she'd take the medicine and I'd give her the marshmallows and sticker. She actually devised her own new way of taking medicine that has worked beautifully now for a total of 4 doses over the past couple days.
Insert 1 bunny marshmallow into mouth and chew slightly
Open mouth enough for 1/2 of the syrup in the syringe to be squirted in
Chew
Take a sip of water to wash down remaining syrup and marshmallow
Repeat
She claims the marshmallow makes the syrup taste good. Win Win.
Yay!
In an effort to avoid these battles we switched over to chewable medicine and those little strips that dissolve on the tongue. To be honest though, they really don't seem to work as well as the syrups do for the symptoms.
The latest cold has been a doozy and I prepared myself for the syrup battle. This time I thought I'd try the bribery up front and told her she could have a marshmallow (the cute little bunny Easter ones that are out right now) if she took the syrup. I also offered to put it in a syringe and let her push the plunger. I even offered a bonus sticker for her sticker chart if she was a big girl about taking her medicine. Visuals of grape syrup all over can be very motivating to a mommy.
Now I was thinking she'd take the medicine and I'd give her the marshmallows and sticker. She actually devised her own new way of taking medicine that has worked beautifully now for a total of 4 doses over the past couple days.
Insert 1 bunny marshmallow into mouth and chew slightly
Open mouth enough for 1/2 of the syrup in the syringe to be squirted in
Chew
Take a sip of water to wash down remaining syrup and marshmallow
Repeat
She claims the marshmallow makes the syrup taste good. Win Win.
Yay!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Alanna and the Easter Bunny
This past weekend was the annual Easter Egg hunt. Here's a pic of Alanna with the Easter Bunny and one of her dancing with the Caribou from Caribou coffee which was one of the sponsors for the event.
Playing Doctor
Our evening babysitter has begun bringing a notepad with her when she comes to watch Alanna. We think she may be writing a book of all the things Miss Alanna comes up with.
Most recently on a date night, Alanna insisted on playing doctor with our babysitter. She had our babysitter lie down on the futon and got out her pretend stethoscope. She announced that she found a kitty and a snake in the babysitter's leg.
Babysitter: Oh my. Are you going to perform surgery to get them out?
A: Yes.
B: Are you going to put me to sleep?
A: Yes.
B: (waits, fully anticipating Alanna to pretend to give her a shot)
A: (sings)Lullabye, and goodnight....
A: (pretends to do the surgery)
A: Ok, I'm done.
B:Oh good. Did you get the cat and the snake out?
A:Um...(panicked look)(sings)Lullabye and goodnight....
Apparently she looked like a doctor who had just realized she had forgotten her tools inside during the surgery.
Most recently on a date night, Alanna insisted on playing doctor with our babysitter. She had our babysitter lie down on the futon and got out her pretend stethoscope. She announced that she found a kitty and a snake in the babysitter's leg.
Babysitter: Oh my. Are you going to perform surgery to get them out?
A: Yes.
B: Are you going to put me to sleep?
A: Yes.
B: (waits, fully anticipating Alanna to pretend to give her a shot)
A: (sings)
A: (pretends to do the surgery)
A: Ok, I'm done.
B:
A:
Apparently she looked like a doctor who had just realized she had forgotten her tools inside during the surgery.
Rewriting the Bible
Periodically we read to Alanna from her Bible stories book. Recently we had read the story of the burning bush Exodus 3:1-15 where God speaks to Moses.
About a week later we were driving home from daycare and this conversation followed:
A: It will be Spring soon won't it?
M: Yes, honey.
A: And then the snow will melt.
M: Yes.
A: And then God will put a talking bush in our front yard.
M:Um. Maybe. But talking bushes are very rare and I don't think he'll probably put one in our front yard.
A: How did the bush talk? Bushes don't have mouths.
M: No, bushes don't have mouths. God wanted to give a message to Moses so his voice came from the bush.
A: I think Jesus was just hiding behind it.
And thus ended the conversation. Have to give her props for the logic at least even if the timeline is a little off. She had deduced that because a bush doesn't have a mouth the voice had to come from somewhere and since Jesus is God's messenger on Earth, he must have been hiding behind the bush.
About a week later we were driving home from daycare and this conversation followed:
A: It will be Spring soon won't it?
M: Yes, honey.
A: And then the snow will melt.
M: Yes.
A: And then God will put a talking bush in our front yard.
M:
A: How did the bush talk? Bushes don't have mouths.
M: No, bushes don't have mouths. God wanted to give a message to Moses so his voice came from the bush.
A: I think Jesus was just hiding behind it.
And thus ended the conversation. Have to give her props for the logic at least even if the timeline is a little off. She had deduced that because a bush doesn't have a mouth the voice had to come from somewhere and since Jesus is God's messenger on Earth, he must have been hiding behind the bush.
Barbie House
I've been remiss in posting and will try to catch up with a few items of note over the past few months.
Santa brought Alanna a Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas this year. Alanna asked Santa for something 'Big' and she vigilantly went through her toys to find things she no longer played with to donate and to make room for something 'Big' that the elves were going to make for her. The elves came over the month of December and did a few inspections to make sure there would be enough room for what they were building and that she was keeping her toys picked up. After each visit, Alanna found a Barbie dress that had dropped out of one of their pockets. On Christmas morning, the Barbie house was completely set up where she had made room for it and all of her dolls were in new dresses inside. She stood there for awhile after coming out of her room with her mouth wide open only uttering a small, soft "wow".
Santa brought Alanna a Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas this year. Alanna asked Santa for something 'Big' and she vigilantly went through her toys to find things she no longer played with to donate and to make room for something 'Big' that the elves were going to make for her. The elves came over the month of December and did a few inspections to make sure there would be enough room for what they were building and that she was keeping her toys picked up. After each visit, Alanna found a Barbie dress that had dropped out of one of their pockets. On Christmas morning, the Barbie house was completely set up where she had made room for it and all of her dolls were in new dresses inside. She stood there for awhile after coming out of her room with her mouth wide open only uttering a small, soft "wow".
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