Princess Duct Tape

We've been doing battle here for some time now. Our 2 year old, Hope, has the whole house feeling as though we are in a war zone. She is the busiest, climbiest, into everything, escape artist that we've ever had.

For example, there was the time she tried to cut off her belly button with my hair cut shears. (I found her at the last moment!) She has recently taken up the past time of taking her diaper off during her nap time and at bedtime. She then proceeds to do her business on the sheets, playing in the poop until she falls asleep.

This has been a great source of distress for poor Mom. During a particularly disgusting episode, while I have Hope in the bathtub, desperately trying to get the poop out from under her fingernails. I'm about at my wits end, when I hear the Oprah show on in the kitchen. I hear her say she has a special song coming up for anyone out there right now who may feel stressed out at that moment. I'm hoping this song will give me some inspiration and renew my strength. The name of the song was....."THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE!!" Not quite the inspiration I had been yearning for.

Princess Duct Tape earned her name by her antics. We now have to use duct tape to secure every diaper. If we ever forget or happen to run out of duct tape, we live to regret it!

Today while I was changing her little brother's diaper, Hope brought me the duct tape and said, "Some of that!" I knew she meant she wanted AJ to have some duct tape too!! We all got a kick out of this!!

AJ's First Haircut

Is this Grandma?

You know, you think you're doing okay. You think when you look in the mirror, "Well, things aren't that bad yet!" You go out of the house feeling just good enough....Then Whammo!! You get one of the dreaded comments. While holding my 1 year old baby boy for his first haircut, a woman who knows me says, "Is this Grandma?" I'm totally bummed, but I don't allow my face to show any reaction, and just ignore the comment. But then she has to repeat herself, louder this time. "Is this Grandma?" I should add that everyone else in the beauty shop is silent...the holding their breath type of silence. No one says a word. Finally, the woman starts to realize...just perhaps....she has stepped in something icky. I try to be nice, and just shook my head. She still cannot fathom her blunder, and asks again, "Is he yours?" I finally just quietly replied, "Ouch!"

Finally, the cobwebs are clearing in this woman's mind. She realizes she does know who I am. She realizes she is on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors with my husband. She is now like a deer in the headlights....can't move, can't speak....She mutters, "Oh this is....and you are..." Then she can't get out of there fast enough.

I'm still quite annoyed as AJ and I go to the grocery store. There an older woman approaches us. I give her a big smile, thinking she must have something to say about my precious child. (I'm secretly praying it will be a positive comment." She said, "You must be my neighbor!" I'm not certain who this woman is, but I don't want to admit it. I simply ask where she lives. She then asks, "Are you Mrs. J****?" Instantly I understand the question. As kindly as I can muster, I explain to her she is thinking of the other woman in town who has a young son with Down Syndrome.

Now this was an honest mistake. And certainly I have made such mistakes in the past....more than I could count or care to remember. But on the heels of the "Granda Episode" I just wasn't up for it

My husband enjoyed this story much more than I did!