Update: Who needs a stroller anyway?

Who needs a stroller anyway??? Tesla does! I cannot believe how quickly I caved. You would think that after writing a blog entry I would be emphatical about not needing a stroller right? I would love to say it's not my fault that I was forced into it. It was a life or death situation or that I was delusional, but none of that is true. I am weak. WEAK WEAK WEAK!

Here's what happened. I went to the mall. (Problem right there.) I love to shop. It's true I do. You want me to go shopping for you and spend your money I will. It's fun! Anyway, I went to the mall. We needed new towels and Macy's was having a friends and family sale and a linens sale so we got bath sheets for 13.69 each which was a great deal! We had towels in our master bath when we moved but their not the same ones that we came back too. Plus a girl like me needs a bath sheet. So that took all of 10 minutes, since I knew exactly what I wanted, but I decided to go to through the rest of the Macy's and try and find some Mother's day gifts... I'm not going to say that I did or did not get Mother's day gifts for our mom's because they read this blog, but let me just tell you, I don't think they'll be unhappy!

After shopping I wanted to get a bite to eat, and I tested myself by going to the McDonald's. A test because all the caloric content is listed on the menu so I could totally see what was a bad choice or not. So I ended up getting a chicken salad without dressing and I believe that it was about 310 calories. Not bad for a lunch. I also got Tesla a four peice of chicken nuggets which if you take the breading off, look absolutely disgusting. She ended up not being to hungry so we left.

I decided after McDonald's that I would let her walk beside me. Well she ran, and I mean RAN to the Build A Bear store where guess what they had sitting in front? A pink stroller. She pushed that thing around for about 10 minutes. So excited. Finally I asked the clerk, how much it was so I would know come Christmas time. It was $12.50. $12.50. So I thought and thought and thought and thought and thought and thought, and bought it. Then I called Jason and he wasn't happy about it. After a lengthy discussion, pouting and canceling the massage that I had scheduled, he agreed to let me, I mean Tesla have it. Phew. Then promptly said you better blog that your a hypocrite. So I am. Everyone! Listen up! I, Tesla's mom am a hypocrite.

It's not like you didn't know this was going to happen right?

Who needs a stroller, anyway?

You know, I think back on it, and my parents had it so easy. Why didn't I think of it? Have your kid in June and that way you don't wear out all the present giving opportunities so close together! Well as we all know, although we were trying to have a kid, we didn't think it would happen so quickly, so she's born in January. Thank goodness it's at least the end of January so she won't end up all bitter like her Christmas born Papa. But it's hard, you know, you want your kid to have everything, on the other hand you want to raise them to not be spoiled, and for them not to expect you to buy them everything all the time. But then it's only $20.00, so why not get it?

Well the reality is or at least this is what I imagine the reality to be, not based on anyone I know. If your kids get everything they want the minute they say they want it, they'll just want more. Unfortunately abiding by this is really hard on me, but I figure I need to work on it now, when Tesla doesn't actually verbally say she wants anything in particular and doesn't know any better. So I didn't go buy her a stroller for her baby. She'll get one at Christmas or her birthday, but I'm going to wait the 9 agonizing months to get it for her, because these are values I want to adopt.

Ugh.

I hate it.

In the meantime, I found this pull behind cart that a friend gave us last year for outside. I cleaned it up and brought it in and Tesla loves putting the baby in it. Of course she doesn't actually pull the cart behind, she picks the whole thing up and walks around with it, but she'll figure it out. I also taught Tesla how to put the baby through the handle of the push and go toy. What can I say, it may look bad but she keeps doing it and pushing the baby in it. So I am proud of myself, I didn't go buy anything else for her and was able to make use of what we had, so now I don't have anything extra to put away or clean, and Tesla didn't get anything new, and she's perfectly happy.

It's hard to grow up sometimes. But as I am learning you need to be the example for your kids, you can't just expect them to behave a certain way if you don't do it yourself, I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of epiphanies in my future. Looking forward to it!

Less is More

As I have mentioned in the past I have been reading about organization, homemaking and raising kids. They all go hand and hand. Well one of my favorite blogs to read is the Lazy Organizer, which I of course have mentioned a few dozen times, and she basically says less is more, but in a way that I actually hear her. It's interesting how you can hear that in so many different ways but when I am finally at the point that I want to learn how to raise a healthy and happy child, and make a warm and comfortable home for myself, husband and kids, I actually hear it.

Not a day goes by that I don't think, oh Tesla could use this, or I "need" that. But the reality is I need nothing, and my daughter yes she does need a few things here and there but right now, she's set. In fact it seems hard to believe that at the age of 14 months she could possibly have to much but I really think she does.

Part of less is more for me is to think about the quality of toys that Tesla is playing with. Do they stimulate, entertain and educate her in some way? Not always. So I have started limiting the toys downstairs in our great room to toys that do just that. It's amazing how if I have her toy box overflowed she gets frustrated and bored easily, but if there is less in there she can entertain herself for quite some time. It's not hours, but definitely 20 minutes at a time with no outside stimulation from me. She generally will play with her abacus, her blocks, her baby doll, books and table and chairs. Those are her go to toys.

Now I am not at the point where I would get rid of anything of hers. Everything is so new I would feel bad just getting rid of them. What I have done is move them upstairs to her room, and often times when Papa gets home from work, he takes her upstairs to play while I finish up dinner or after dinner when he gets her ready for bed, and she has a lot of fun taking everything out, showing Papa and running around her room. It's been great. I'll share a couple of other "Less is More" ideas in later posts.

Photos: Tesla playing with her blocks. In case you are wondering if she has a scrape on her face, not it's raspberry leftovers from lunch. What can I say I'm still working on being neat.