(Note to Jarrod – I did manage this one without your help but it was less than what I wanted.? 🙂
Seriously.? I need a break.? The tiny terror is in her crib wailing “Appppppplllleeeee Juuuuuiiiicccce” which I don’t dare give her right now because who knows what weapon of mass destruction it would be in her hands.? I have lost count of Tori messes I have cleaned up today.? Toothpaste all over her, brushing with Daddy’s toothbrush, throwing several loads of nicely laundered and laid out clothes in a heap on the ground, opening my dishwasher in the middle of the cycle and distributing half washed contents in various places in the house, emptying all the flushable toilet wipes in the house, going through my makeup wipes, distributing large amounts of an unknown fluid all over the bathroom floor, using soap all over the bathroom floor (that was actually last night before bed)…it never ends.? If I lose track of her for a few minutes you can bet she is up to no good.? Brooke was counseling me on the phone today as a mother of a like minded child and she said I would save my sanity with some “room” time.? I gotta try something.? This is sheer craziness.? She causes more trouble in one afternoon than both my boys ever have.
My friend Ali was over last week with her two kids.? Kade, who is about 5 months older than Tori and twice her size cracked me up when he came to tattle on her and said “Turkey took my gun!”? In the first place, I am sure the name mix up was a Freudian slip.? One I wholeheartedly can appreciate.? Secondly, she really had a lot of nerve taking Kade on to begin with.
When you ask her old she is do you know what she has been telling us?? Ten.? Is it ironic or strategic that she has placed herself one year ahead of Tanner?? We have been talking about Tanner’s 9th birthday a lot lately (it’s Saturday) so I have to wonder if she intentionally is keeping herself a step ahead of her brothers.
She loves to be the mommy and imitates my tone quite well.? We have heard a lot of “Ty!? NOW!” and “Ty!? NICE!”? and “Ty!? NUFF’? Sometimes she inserts Tanner’s name as well or just says “GUYS!”
Ty taught her to say “Dad gummit!” and she has been exercising that often to.? Usually followed up with a growl.? :)?? I caught her singing “Five little monkeys” in her bed the other night.? First she started jumping then she sang “One.? Monkey.? Jump.? Bed.”?? A couple of nights ago she went to bed crying for “one monkey” and I thought she wanted me to sing but quickly realized she was being literal.? She wanted George in bed with her.? George is technically Ty’s monkey but Tori has shanghaied it.
Let’s see what other trouble has she caused?? Oh yes.? The bathtub incident.? I heard water running and went to investigate.? She was stripped naked, in the tub, and running her own bath.? SCARY!? I always worried that a kid would get it in their head to try that.? I think I need to buy the pull plugs and keep them out of reach.
The potty training is a big fat pain.? For the most part, she has done very well with it.? I have only had a couple of number 2 incidents in the last week.? Not bad.? BUT, I HATE her being in the bathroom because she causes too much trouble in there.?? Then when we go out anywhere, she always has to go potty several times because she just wants to check out the bathroom and exercise her new independence.
It’s been a long day…
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She just looks full of mischief doesn’t she?? But as she loves telling me ” happy happy happy.”? 🙂
9 responses to “10”
Wow – I feel like I’m reading a description of my life with Georgia when she was that age. She was definitely much more mischievous than her sisters and did many similar things – shampoo all over the counter, all over the carpet, all over the dog, clothes out of the closet a distributed throughout the house, etc. Just a few weeks ago (she’s 4 1/2 now) she climbed onto the counter and helped herself to spoonfuls of hot cocoa mix on the sly. She had no idea that she had been found out and when I asked her if she did it, she burst into incredibly sad tears – because she didn’t want me to know. Huh… the evidence? a pile of cocoa on the counter, a ring of chocolate around her mouth, and the spoon she used with dried cocoa on it thrown back into the utensil drawer.
So sorry to tell you that while it does get better, it doesn’t end:)
Can I laugh at the humor of it all, but feel bad for you, my friend, for having to clean up all those messes 😉
I have to buy something today for my 10 and almost 7 year old girls to use to clean the walls because they chose to put lipstick on and then “kiss” the walls in the bathroom and their room. Actually I am really not sure which one came up with the idea 😉
And I will have to email you what the twins did when they were about Tori’s age.
But… I have to say, overall, although they each have their own ways of getting into trouble – none of the 3 of mine caused that many “messes” in one day.
Now… when it comes to attitude – if you look closely you can probably “see” Lauren’s attitude from where you are – LOL.
Oh my I just wanna hug her, she is sooooooo adorable. I absolutely love the outfit, bows and all.
Hang in there mama, she is just testing out this wonderful thing we call life. Have you thought about getting those darn baby proof handles that go over the doorknobs?? They can be a pain to open even for adults but I when my own were little they were sure a blessing for keeping little one’s out of certain rooms.
Sounds like lil’ miss needs a girl tea set, a doll house with all the accessories, a doll with a good supply of clothes, bottles, diapers, a stroller, if she is more into her brothers things (Rachel was) try the army men collections or legos. I know both genders of my children loved to play with the cleaning toys they sell, the little vacuum’s, brooms, dust busters. I have no idea what would keep her little hands occupied, but there has to be something out there that says, “Tori time”. Something that keeps her safe and busy in one area.
I agree with Brooke, mommy time outs are so vital and must be scheduled in. I use to tell my kids, “if mommy does not get a little time to regroup, I am gonna be the spotlight story on local news or CNN.” It was not easy with 6 little one’s all close in age and most of my “mama time” was spent letting the kids run free at the park while I sat on a bench.
Doni, if anyone can survive this…………..you can!!!!! 🙂
As far as the potty training goes, remember it’s one day at a time, grab her a book or a mini IPOD, a leap frog. Sounds kinda gross to have these items in a bathroom but for the sake of keeping her busy it might be worth the sacrifice.
Unfortunately I have no great wisdom for these days, it has been so long. I can tell you though I had the same problems with my girls, the boys never could have competed with their sister’s mischiefs. Do you remember the story of Jake being rushed to the hospital because they “thought” he was in critical condition with jaundice??? Yep, it was all thanks to his sisters!!!
(let me interject for susie that tori HAS all those things!) and doni has the doorknobs…. but if little girl is potty training you don’t want to keep the bathroom doors closed all the time. (had that conversation with doni) 🙂 and try getting little boys to remember to close some doors (or heck, mommy for that matter – when she’s running around the house to take care of things) 🙂
doni, i still think you out to try a gate in tori’s room and give her that kind of room time. the one we have that was about $50 has tall metal slats (were too slipper for seth to climb over, unlike his crib), and has a step pedal to open the gate hands-free. she’s probably much to light to get it open by standing on it on her own – could be a while. you just don’t want to have to resort to duck tape for keeping her in one place! 🙂
and how is it that she somehow looks older in these pictures? she looks downright adorable. her hair is gorgeous too. i miss her!!! 🙁
Let it be known I take the interjection with grace!!! Good thing I covered my tracks admitting that “Unfortunately I have no great wisdom for these days, it has been so long.”!!!!
LOVE IT! All of it.Tori is so grown up looking in those pics, she is such a doll. So beautiful. I love to hear other mothers in deep with their little one’s makes me feel less alone. Tori is adorable. If its any consulation my 12 soon to be 13 year old had to check out the bathroom everywhere we went and still to this day he does it everywhere we go! 🙂
The pictures are SOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!! And boy do I feel your pain!! Last night Colton dumped an entire can of baking powder out in the pantry!!! Can you imagine Colton and Tori together….TROUBLE!!! Unfortunately they will be out of this phase before we know it! Thinking of you today will bring me comfort…knowing that you are doing exactly what I am!! Love you!!!!
I feel your pain sister, I’m just thankful Braxtyn is getting better and now if it happens it is fewer and farther between, still just as destructive however. Tonight for example she was running outside barefooted muddy and wet because we over watered the roses. She is attracted to mud like a magnet and I as I am typing she’s taking the sewing pins out of the cushion, I better go….!
“Oh me goshz”as Braxtm would say! Those pictures of Tori are so adoarable. She seems to actually “like” posing for her mommy, Good stuff – keep up the good work you are doing!!!!