Newfangled Dad

You look like an angel Walk like an angel Talk like an angel But I got wise You're the devil in disguise Oh, yes, you are The devil in disguise --Elvis Presley As I put Leda in her crib yesterday for probably her 4th...maybe 5th?...I don't really count...timeout I had a conversation with her that went like this. "You better get used to it. You and me are going to be doing this the rest of our lives. I tell you to not do something. You do it anyway. I have to punish you."  Cole never had this problem. Or, rather, he did and wised up quickly. He never gets timeouts anymore. In fact, he was on the verge of one yesterday and I realized that I hadn't even had to think about what to do with him since the big boy bed arrived.  Leda is in everything. She eats the dog food. She plays in the dog's water. She eats toilet paper. She chews on cords. She goes into the kitchen and wants the bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap under the sink. She wants to...

One of my favorite things about having a toddler...yes, there are very fun things about having one!...is watching Cole's preferences change over time. Each day brings an interesting election-style ratings chart of who is beating who in the battle for is attention and favor. We'll leave favorite parent aside for now, that's a whole other topic. I'm talking more about prunes and sweet potatoes. Leda has eaten 2 full jars of prunes in the last 2 meals. One of the few foods that makes her smile. Cole used to be the same way. In fact, he also loved sweet potato at that age. He'd eat it every meal if we'd let him. Last night, however, we made baked sweet potatoes for dinner--the full treatment with butter and brown sugar. And Cole took one bite before spitting it out all over the living room carpet. Apple trumps all. He loves an apple. Grapes and blueberries are up there. Oatmeal will beat peanut butter sandwich usually, but rarely rice and beans. Pasta used to tr...

With my son, cloth diapering was also a statement in addition to being the right thing. We put a lot of time and effort and research into whether the diaper service would work for us, what covers to use, etc.. In the end, pardon the pun, it turned out great. We loved it and have had every intention of going back to cloth now that the sunny, smelly summer months are over. Then Leda happened. Not that it was her fault. She's just given us other priorities and worries. My son has his "diapering station" in his room where we've got a changing pad setup on the ottoman with wipes and lotions on the window ledge. For a whole variety of reasons, Leda has taken up semi-permanent residence in the living room. For middle of the night changes that rarely happen anymore. For space. She occupies the long chaise with her padded nest and lap pad at the end. When she was first born, it was just easier than worrying about waking up Cole. On the other hand, cosleeping wasn't som...