babyfruit: the miscarriage blog and motherhood diaries

The "Zoo" (Shopping with Toddler)

We were at the grocery store last night, and NG was being very clingy, wanting me to carry her instead of riding in the shopping cart. We finally got through our shopping list and as we walked toward the checkout line, NG pointed across the store and said "I want to go to the zoo!"

The zoo? In the grocery store? At first I had no idea what she was talking about until I looked past the checkout counter and saw the store's play center with its circus decor of giraffes, lions, and monkeys.

"You want to go in there?" I asked her.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed.

What was ironic is that I've attempted to bring her to the store's play center when shopping with a friend and her little girl, but each time, NG would scream the moment she was inside, refusing to stay, so I ended up with a sobbing and inconsolable toddler while trying to grocery shop. I finally gave up on even trying because for some reason it seemed that the play center caused her toddler angst.

But last night, she wanted to go there. Of course, we had already finished our shopping, but I explained to G. that I thought it might be good to let her play there for a while. So I signed her in and watched her walk through the small doorway they have set up for children to enter the center. She walked immediately to the other children and seemed fine.

G. and I sat on a bench nearby and chatted while we waited to see if she would put up a fuss but we didn't hear her crying. G. kept going over to check on her with me right behind to take a peek. Each time, she seemed content playing alone with a tea set and later some plastic food on plates and after that, a little kitchen set.

I started feeling like a hovering parent and was sure that the gal monitoring the play center was thinking "No wonder this child didn't like the play center before. Her parents are overprotective freaks." If only she knew.

About 20 minutes after NG went in, we went back to the play center to get her. She was amenable to leaving, didn't put up a fuss at all, but was also not desperately grateful to see us.

"Did you like the zoo?" I asked her as I put on her jacket.

"Yeah! I like the zoo." she said as we left the store and headed home.

The Snake

Baby is getting potty trained. She decided on her own and supposedly has had only 1 accident at school but is otherwise dry. I toggle between pullups and panties for her right now because it always seems to be my fault when she has an accident - I'm just not paying enough attention, I guess.

But I never scold her, just usher her to her little potty and change her, do some laundry, wipe things up. I was so worried that I would have no idea how to potty train her and she is practically teaching me all about it!

The best part is how she is so thrilled about her accomplishments. "I'm a big girl now," she tells us.

The other day, she finally pooped in her potty. She stood up, looked into the bowl, and exclaimed, "I made a snake!"

I tried not to laugh because I wanted to make sure she knew how proud I was of her pooping in the potty. But it still cracks me up.

And now, she announces after every time she poops: "I made another snake!" and "I made a teeny tiny snake!" and "I made a big snake!"

Hey, whatever works for her works for me.