Maybe she IS listening

One of the rules in our house is "no throwing." It's the rule Isa hears most often because whenever she's tired or frustrated or cranky, she likes to chuck toys (or anything else she can get her hands on) across the living room floor.

When a toy is thrown, I put that toy into a time-out up on the mantle and she doesn't get it back until the next morning. Since she often just moves onto the next toy to throw, I wasn't sure that this approach was actually teaching her not to throw.

This afternoon, Isa put an old-school Little Person on her finger (yeah for the toys from my childhood that my parents saved!). Then she flicked it across the floor. Before I could say anything, she turned to me and said "no throwing." Then, she picked up the Little Person, walked over to the mantle and held it up for me to put in time-out.

I sat there with my mouth wide open. Hurrah for self-disciplining! Now if she'd just remember the rule and apply it BEFORE doing the action......

New Orleans or bust

In the wee hours of the morning on Sunday I leave for a work conference in New Orleans. I'll be gone until late Thursday night. It's the first time I'll have been away from Isa for more than a single night. I'll admit to being a bit panicked, although also fairly excited about the idea of 4 nights in a row of uninterrupted sleep!

My dad is going to tag along with me- he's always wanted to see New Orleans and this is his chance for a free room at the Sheraton in the French Quarter. My mom is going to come up at stay with Isa at our house. I've put together a bunch of ideas of how to spend the time here at home- directions to the closest playground and a nearby beach, how to get to the Arboretum, directions to the zoo since I know my sister is coming up one day to do that with them. Now that the weather is finally nice, there's always the option of just walking up and down the sidewalk, playing with rocks (her current favorite activity), and the sandbox and little slide in our own backyard. Doesn't it look like todder paradise in our yard now?

I know that she'll be fine. I think the days will actually be harder on my mom than Isa. :) I guess I'm more concerned about the fall-out once I get back home. Extra-clinginess? A few more meltdowns? Who knows?

And we won't really have time to do much recuperating. The following Thursday, we're flying back to MN for a visit so that all of my friends from college can finally meet Isa. We're staying with my friend Katie who has a daughter, Isabel, who will be 3 in September. (I know, funny isn't it? Katie & Isadora plus Katie & Isabel) While I'm not looking forward to the plane trip with a now very active toddler, I know Isa will have a BLAST back there. And I can't wait to show her off.....

On that note, here's a belated birthday wish for Katie in MN (with a little improv at the end):

Isa-bot

Sometime in the last couple weeks, some evil doer stole my darling, sweet Isa B and replaced her with a constantly short-circuiting Isa-bot.

She goes from happy to wailing in 2 seconds flat. For no obvious reason. And then back to happy again when you aren't looking. This is especially apparent during meals. She has gotten very adept with a spoon or fork, so she's mostly feeding herself lately with utinsels rather than fingers. She can be in the middle of a bowl of food that she's enjoying, suddenly throw the fork across the table and start sobbing. Why? Who knows?

Another sign that the Isa-bot is obviously malfunctioning is her erratic sleep schedule. Today, for the second time in as many weeks, she slept until 9:30. That's right- 9:30 a.m.- 3 hours longer than normal. Even after this morning's sleep marathon she was ready for a nap by 1 and has been asleep for 2 1/2 hours.

Granted, her last 3 incisors are tthhiiisss close to breaking through her gums and in the last month (based on clothing fit) she's had a HUGE growth spurt- she's grown at least an inch, likely more. So perhaps everything from her mouth on down just hurts from all the outward/upward progress. That would make me cranky, too.

Or maybe I do have an Isa-bot on my hands. In that case, anyone know a good robot repair shop?

ETA- Final total for today: she slept an extra three hours this morning, took an almost three hour nap, and went down like usual at 7. CRAZY!