Creativity 101

Wow, I can't believe it's been over 6 weeks since we have moved! In some ways it feels like forever and in other ways I can't believe it's been that long.  Life has definitely changed in many ways for all 3 of us.  Things are a lot better!  Hayden is finally doing better and seems to really like the new house and her room.  It took about 3 weeks for her to get comfortable but she now goes from room to room without any problem and knows where everything is.  Now if only I could say that for myself, lol! 

Kyle is in full swing with school and football.  The team is 3-1 having won their last 3 games.  That's always encouraging for a coach and definitely more fun to watch :)  School has been an adjustment but then again all new jobs are.  He is so busy it's hard for him to get everything done.  That's where I come in I guess....I have a little time on my hands and am able to help him with some of his grading.  He's doing well though and trying to stay positive about everything.  The first year at a new place is always difficult. 

With our house a little more under control and in order I have found that I have a LOT of extra time on my hands.  Which isn't always a good thing but that's where creativity comes in.  Hayden tends to get bored and I was really starting to feel like a rotten mom resorting to television to keep her attention.  But, mom gets bored too, and when there is only one way in to your "neighborhood" and you live on the corner of 2 dead end streets you start to feel like you are hitting your head on a brick wall.  We went to the park ALL the time. I got to the point where I just wanted to cry if I even hear the word 'park' one more time!  And with so few streets in town there are only so many places you can walk.  That got old pretty quick too.  I tried finding classes or something for Hayden that would help keep the both of us busy but no such luck.  I was beginning to feel desperate!  I kept thinking, "what is wrong with me? I have been a mom for 2 years and have never had this much trouble keeping her busy!"  But, when I think about it, we kept busy before by running the farmer's market, going to Chamber coffees, running errands, going to meetings, classes at the library (which our doesn't have now).  I never realized before how much my job gave me to do with her and how much I REALLY appreciated our busy library (thanks Denise if you are reading this!).  I can't even claim trips to the store anymore because what used to be a half day adventure to Fort Dodge is now a quick hour trip to Cherokee.  Not that I am complaining about that, I LOVE that part. 

So what's a mom of a busy two year old to do??  I gave myself a pep talk.  Get a grip! She's a bored 2 year old not a bored 14 year old! She's ecstatic to play with a bucket of leaves for crying out loud!  You can do this! Put on your creative cap and figure out something to do!  And that's where it began.  Those of you who don't know me very well are probably thoroughly confused at this point, but those who DO know me, know that I am NOT a creative person.  I am a copier, not an original.  To come up with things to do all by myself without any help from the outside world is a complete yea moment for me!  Remember the leaf comment?  That's EXACTLY what we did.  We walked all over the neighborhood and picked up leaves and brought them home in Hayden's grocery cart.  She played with them for hours! We pick flowers (dandelions), look at bugs (she was completely enthralled with a caterpillar we found), chase bunnies into the corn field behind our house, look at soy beans and corn up close and personal, walk through the corn fields.  And that's just the outside stuff!  For inside stuff, we do ALL 7 puzzles she has multiple times a day and read books like they are the last ones earth.  I used to get frustrated trying to read to her because she wouldn't sit still and actually let me read.  I figured out that if I tell her no, she has to sit down and let me finish reading that she doesn't throw much of a fit and will actually listen.  We can get through 3 or 4 (short) books in a sitting now before she looses it. :) (Yes, she is just like me and has no patience whatsoever; although unlike me as I LOVED to read as a kid).  We build forts out of the furniture and blankets and make the dog hide them; wow does she LOVE that! And of course she likes to play in them too :)  We have parties with all her babies and stuffed animals, play catch with her "f'ball" (football).  She is really good too! She catches really well for a 2 year old and has a great arm....although we do need to work on her aim :)  She loves to sing songs and dance to music (which there will NEVER be pictures of so don't even ask!).  She likes all the classic little kid games like ring around the rosy and jog jog, but her favorite is "winnow".  It's a little song I sing where I pretend I am going to throw her out the window but throw her on the couch instead.  She LOVES it!  I also tried to think of some actual games that she could play but obviously don't have any of those at the moment...so I just went to the closet to see what I could find.  TWISTER!!!!  Oh, my goodness, I think I have created a monster!  She had a blast playing with the spinner and finding colors on the mat.  I was pretty proud of myself for thinking of that one :)  The spinner helps with coordination and dexterity, she's learning her colors and eventually we can work on right and left.  Go me!!  Oh and not only that, but it completely wears her out.  She was so ready for her nap today. 

Another thing we have started doing....cooking!!!  Again some of you are probably very confused, "why is this idiot woman just now discovering cooking with her child?"  Here's the thing, I am VERY type A and like things to be just so.  They have be done right and I HATE messes.  Those are two things that you just aren't going to accomplish when you cook with a 2 year old.  Now I have let her "help" with some baking once in a while but mostly just let her stir the bowl a couple times.  Lately I have started letting her help with pretty much everything.  Last night she helped me make Creamy Chicken and Rotini Primavera.  She did great! She was pouring stuff in, stirring it up and she was happy as a lark.  Usually I resort to putting her in front of the TV when I am getting supper going because she gets really clingy about the time I can't do something with her.  This was a perfect solution to all our troubles.  And the mess was minimal....we lost a few stray noodles but even type A can handle that :)  And when she got tired of helping she just wandered off on her own instead of me trying to pry her off and convince her to play by herself for a while. 

All in all, I have finally learned what it means to be a true stay at home mom.  All you moms that have been doing this for a while are probably laughing hysterically right now; after all, it has taken me two years, but I was a working stay at home mom before.  I didn't have time to do all the "normal" stay at home mom stuff.  I have struggled with that in past.  Thinking that I was failing as mom and comparing my life to other moms that stayed home full time.  Their kids all knew their colors....  What good is staying home if I can't be my kids teacher?  But, I know that was crazy to think that way.  I did what I could with the time that I had and Hayden learned a lot of other types of things.  She is the most social kid I know! She will talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere.  She has a smile on her face 95% of the time and thrives being in the spotlight.  I attribute that to all the social gatherings and meetings I drug her to where she was the only kid around and every person in the place wanted to see and talk with her.  She is completely comfortable with kids of any age and adults.  I get comments all the time about how polite and helpful she is and people just can't believe much she talks!  She is so aware of everything going on around her and very concerned with the well-being of others.  If you have an owie and you need a kiss she's your girl :)

Sometimes I can't believe how blessed I am and why God chose to give us such a wonderful little girl.  But I am not going to complain!  I am going to try to keep up that social attitude and we are hitting those colors and fruit & veggies puzzles hard.  I have lots of fall activities on my list and am even going to try an actual craft with actual glue! *GASP*  This, again, from the mom who's child has never seen play doh and and doesn't even know markers exist.  Over all, a stretching experience for mom and a learning experience for child.  But, this is my new job and I love it! :)