Thursday Thoughts

Our baby girl turns one next week, and I'm having a lot of sudden parenting epiphanies I thought I'd share with all you sympathetic mamas & papas!  Though not all cloth-diaper related, I figured most of you would still be able to relate to nearly everything I'm about to say anyways ;)

1) Buy them all the toys and gadgets in the world, and none of those things are still nearly as enjoyable as attempting to stick those little fingers in a socket (why do North American sockets have to look like happy faces, anyways??), peeling off palm fronds in the hope of eating them, and scooting at lightning speed towards mama's favorite decor items or a temporarily ungated set of stairs.

2) I feel more like a rodeo-callibre calf roper than a diaper changer most days

3) I've been tempted more than a few times to take a swig out of the sippy cup after spending the afternoon in the hot sun or in a hot car.

4) "Sid the Science Kid" is my new early morning TV hero.  When we're up at 5am, I confess our darling daughter gets more quality time with Sid than with mama.

5) Related to the above: if anyone ever deletes Sid the Science Kid off my PVR, I just might murder them.

6) Seeing the awe in her eyes at everyday simplicities makes me appreciate life more.  Some of her favorite sights these days: watching the wind ruffle the leaves on the aspen trees, seeing other kids laugh and play, and the sight of birds absoutely anywhere ("Dut!" shouts my little duck-lover, at anything winged, even the seagulls at McDonalds)

7) Entertainment for a little one is extremely cheap or free to come by.  Going to the pet store is just as good as going to the huge zoo three hours away.  A sandy playground is just as much fun as some distant beach.  No movie or TV show is nearly as funny as mom and dad humiliating themselves (especially in a public place).  The Dollar Store is a great place to go for a toy extravaganza--there's so much fun to be had, you can even leave without buying anything (after all, the toy will no longer be nearly as fun once you bring it home!).

8) When all else fails, Cheerios will fix all woes.

9) Though I said it would never happen, my dogs have reverted to being "just dogs".  They drive me berserk daily but redeem themselves when I see how much joy they bring her with their antics and horribly irritating habits.

10) Going to church with a baby just means driving to a whole new location, all just to still sit in the basement and play with toys ;)

I'm so excited to see what the next year will bring, and then the year after that, and the year after that ...