Taking a Toddler Out

It's been nice to get back into the swing of blogging again.  Not sure who is still out there, but I hope I haven't bored you too much!  Although, I make no promises.  I'm sure life will get too crazy to blog in the near future--I have a toddler and work full time.

Anyways, so it's definitely April in St. Louis.  This snow pic was taken 8 days ago, and the day after it was sunny and in the 70s.  Last Monday we reached a record temp of 90 degrees, and the next morning we were scraping frost off our windows.  Yesterday it was chilly and windy, and today it reached the 80s.  This is what drives my sinuses crazy!  The thunderstorms are worth it though.

Okay, so the main topic I wanted to chat about is the new stage I think we're entering into:

The Challenge of Taking a Toddler Anywhere.

I've never wanted to be (and still work towards not being) the mom/family that doesn't do anything because of having a child.  But it is getting so much harder.

Scenario #1: Going to someone's house who doesn't have kids (or they are grown beyond baby-proofing). 

I love, love, love hanging out with all our friends who don't have kiddos, or going to family members' houses that aren't baby-proofed.  It's just becoming more difficult as Mav wants to explore more and more.  I just can't go to relax and hang out.  I'm always on alert as to where Mav is, and what he's touching.  I don't want to be the parents of the kid who destroys everything, ha!  So by the end of the evening, I'm completely exhausted and it's not from partying too hard. 




(This is Mav at our friends' house, he loved their doggies!)

 Scenario #2: Restaurant, Store, or anywhere that requires sitting in one spot.  Going out to eat isn't normally too bad.  That is, if I time Mav's eating around when we're going out...and I bring plenty of fidgets.  The real kicker is going grocery shopping.  And I can't blame him--there is way too many fun and interesting things to pull off the shelf! He also loves to show off his new verbal skills...just a little too loud for most people's taste.  I guess it makes sense to say "Bye bye" to everything while you're zooming along in a cart.  And you have to scream it because the store is so big!

I thought I was gonna cry the other day when I took Mav out to eat, on a whim.  I should've known better to not go because I didn't have any toys packed.  Maverick did not want to sit in his chair and he was letting everyone know about it by doing the "dolphin body kick" and whining.  I tried walking him around but all he wanted to do was run away from me, ha!  Needless to say, I left early. 

But really, overall it's not too bad.

Just wanted to vent a little. 

Maverick is the coolest kid on the planet and I wouldn't have him any other way.

That's his most favorite toy right now--the alphabet puzzle.  Not to brag, but the kid knows his letters thanks to this puzzle.  We can say "E is for Egg" (while he's holding the E piece) and he puts it in the right spot.  He giggles hysterically when we emphasize each sound the letters make.  Leave it to my kid!  :)

(p.s. Do you like the new design?  I thought it was in need of a makeover!)