I don't understand Fat Pants. Maybe I'm doing it wrong?
Not long ago I discovered that all of my work pants were way too tight. I mean, I could just barely fasten them and when I did I was immediately uncomfortable and grouchy. So I figured I needed to lose a couple pounds. But that could take a few weeks, right? So I decided to get a couple pairs of stop-gap Fat Pants to meet my needs until I dropped a couple pounds and went back to my usual pants.
Also, I figured, it's only a few pounds I need to lose, so I don't need a serious diet, I'll just cut out junk food, including the (almost nightly) glass of wine and some-form-of-chocolate. In a few weeks, I'll be back in my regular pants. Right?
This does not seem to be how it works Instead, it went like this:
Purchased 2 pairs of Fat Pants and experience immediate relief.
Lost all desire to squeeze into old pants.
Lost all desire to lose a few pounds.
Drank lots of wine and ate lots of chocolate.
Can now ONLY fit into two pairs of Fat Pants -- regular pants will no longer fasten.
When I was wearing the Tight Pants and feeling uncomfortable all day long I was much more motivated to diet. Now that I am comfy in my Fat Pants, why would I bother? Actually, even when I was sausaging myself into my old pants from 9am-5pm, the motivation was only present when the Tight Pants were on. As soon as I'd get home from work I'd put on Comfy Pants and miraculously forget about the whole pants problem. It's like I can only diet when I'm at work, and uncomfortable.
Like right now. I'm in my powder blue snowflake patterned fleece pajama pants (jealous?) and they feel great! So what's the problem? No problem! Bring me more wine and chocolate! No problem all the way till tomorrow morning when I have to dress for work. And even then, I have the Fat Pants.
This all reminds me when a friend of mine gained her Dissertation Weight (it's a thing, really) and she went out and bought bigger clothes. I remember she said, "I'm not getting fat, I just needed bigger clothes!" This is exactly my problem. The bigger clothes take away that sense of expanding waistline, thus all motivation to diet.
So the questions remain:
(1) How do I get motivated to get back into my old pants? Keep wearing them? Wear them 24/7 so I am always uncomfortable?
(2) How do I keep the Fat Pants from becoming the Regular Pants? Or, God Forbid, the New Tight Pants?
(3) How is this supposed to work? What am I doing wrong?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Necessity is the Mother of Learning to Operate Doorknobs
At the ripe old age of 2 years, 7 months, Quynh had still not learned to operate a door knob. And why would she? With two parents and a brother to open doors for her, she had no need.
Until she moved into her Big Girl Bed.
The first few nights in the bed she slept like an angel, waking at the usual hour of 6:30am and softly calling to us or signing to herself to let us know she was awake. We'd go in and find her still in her bed, playing with her baby dolls. The transition from crib to bed went so smoothly, I thought to myself, somehow forgetting my past experience. Then, just like her brother before her, it occurred to her that she could simply get out of bed. Whenever. She. Wanted.
The next few nights, she woke early and decided enough was enough. No longer caged in her crib, she climbed out of her bed. But she was trapped in her room by her inability to figure out the enigma that is the doorknob. Logically, she knocked to be let out. One night Minh and I woke to the outrageously loud sound of tiny little knuckles rapping on a door at 2am. And then again at 5am.
This habit spread briefly to bedtime. A couple nights in a row, just after being tucked in, she would start knocking on the door. We found that if we opened the door and tucked her back in there were tears. But if we ignored the knocking it eventually stopped.
But then one evening it happened. We tucked her in and closed the door. Less than two minutes later the door *opened* and Quynh came out, announcing, "Mama, I have to tell you a secret." Trying not to let my face betray the absolute shock and horror (and not even a hint of pride) I felt at her new-found ability to escape her room, I tucked her back in and told her to save her secret for the morning. She wept. And fell asleep.
For the next several nights, Quynh woke at the ungodly hour of anytime-before-6am, came out of her room, and wandered down the hallway. She'd come into our room, clad in feety PJs, nuk in mouth, stuffies tucked under arms, and blanky dragging behind her. She'd look up at me with those big black anime eyes and ask, "Can I come in your bed?"
And I'd say "No."
It's so hard to say no, but we learned with the first kid that we have to. So each time, we'd put her back in her room and she'd cry. But eventually she got the hint. She's still not sleeping all the way until 6:30, but this morning she stayed in her room (doing God-Knows-What) until then. Actually, I take it back. I know what she was doing. She has one of these things, where you scratch off the black stuff to reveal sparkly rainbow colors underneath. She adores it. And at one of my recent 5am wake-ups (during which I found myself arguing with a 2 year old over whether and why she had to go back to sleep) I grabbed the notepad off her table and suggested she busy herself with that till 6:30am. Not the best decision, since I now find her sheets covered in little black flecks every morning. But at least she lets me sleep.
Now she has the cutest little night light on a timer just like her brother. And we're hoping she takes to that system as well as he did. Tonight's the first night with the timer and she's pretty excited about it. Let's see what the wee small hours of tomorrow morning bring.
Until she moved into her Big Girl Bed.
The first few nights in the bed she slept like an angel, waking at the usual hour of 6:30am and softly calling to us or signing to herself to let us know she was awake. We'd go in and find her still in her bed, playing with her baby dolls. The transition from crib to bed went so smoothly, I thought to myself, somehow forgetting my past experience. Then, just like her brother before her, it occurred to her that she could simply get out of bed. Whenever. She. Wanted.
The next few nights, she woke early and decided enough was enough. No longer caged in her crib, she climbed out of her bed. But she was trapped in her room by her inability to figure out the enigma that is the doorknob. Logically, she knocked to be let out. One night Minh and I woke to the outrageously loud sound of tiny little knuckles rapping on a door at 2am. And then again at 5am.
This habit spread briefly to bedtime. A couple nights in a row, just after being tucked in, she would start knocking on the door. We found that if we opened the door and tucked her back in there were tears. But if we ignored the knocking it eventually stopped.
But then one evening it happened. We tucked her in and closed the door. Less than two minutes later the door *opened* and Quynh came out, announcing, "Mama, I have to tell you a secret." Trying not to let my face betray the absolute shock and horror (and not even a hint of pride) I felt at her new-found ability to escape her room, I tucked her back in and told her to save her secret for the morning. She wept. And fell asleep.
For the next several nights, Quynh woke at the ungodly hour of anytime-before-6am, came out of her room, and wandered down the hallway. She'd come into our room, clad in feety PJs, nuk in mouth, stuffies tucked under arms, and blanky dragging behind her. She'd look up at me with those big black anime eyes and ask, "Can I come in your bed?"
And I'd say "No."
It's so hard to say no, but we learned with the first kid that we have to. So each time, we'd put her back in her room and she'd cry. But eventually she got the hint. She's still not sleeping all the way until 6:30, but this morning she stayed in her room (doing God-Knows-What) until then. Actually, I take it back. I know what she was doing. She has one of these things, where you scratch off the black stuff to reveal sparkly rainbow colors underneath. She adores it. And at one of my recent 5am wake-ups (during which I found myself arguing with a 2 year old over whether and why she had to go back to sleep) I grabbed the notepad off her table and suggested she busy herself with that till 6:30am. Not the best decision, since I now find her sheets covered in little black flecks every morning. But at least she lets me sleep.
Now she has the cutest little night light on a timer just like her brother. And we're hoping she takes to that system as well as he did. Tonight's the first night with the timer and she's pretty excited about it. Let's see what the wee small hours of tomorrow morning bring.
Monday, January 09, 2012
Welcome to the Big Leagues
Quynh is (daytime) potty trained. She had been working on that, off-and-on, for a while, but a few weeks ago something just clicked and she got it. Do you suppose it had anything to do with the fact that in her PNP video Santa said, "I understand you've been asked to try to always make it to the toilet on time"? That Santa, he can be pretty powerful.*
Well, whatever happened, I'm thrilled that it did. She's 2 years and 7 months old and the only time she wears a diaper is overnight. I can practically see the End of Diapers Forever on the horizon.
Quynh's other milestone over the holiday break was learning how to climb in and out of her crib on her own. She frequently takes to her crib to "rest" (get a nuk fix). It's lovely that she likes to hang out in there, especially when we are making dinner. When she's done she yells, "Can someone get me out?!?" But one evening she did not call for help, but simply emerged from her room with a big smile on her face. Surely it was a one-time fluke, we hoped. But over the next few days she proved that theory wrong, easily climbing in and out at will.
So we got a sitter and went bed shopping. (Because I cannot imagine much worse than trying to make a decision about such a large purchase with two kids jumping on mattresses and asking me to play with them.) Quynh's only request was that we get her a "pink one". When we returned home and declared success, she asked a series of questions: "Where is it? Is it in the trunk [of the car]? Can I sleep in it? Is it pink?" We tried to explain that large items like beds have to be delivered and that for some strange reason pink beds are not that common.
So the bed arrives tomorrow and we're hoping the pink Hello Kitty sheets will take ker mind off the fact that her wooden bed is not pink but the color of, well, wood. Yes, tomorrow night my baby will sleep in her brand new Big Girl Bed for the first time. Yes, I am excited. And yes, I am little bit sad. But mostly I'm just wondering how she will handle sleeping un-caged. We all know how well that has gone in the past.
*I need to keep this in mind next year and start plotting what he can help me achieve in 2012.
Well, whatever happened, I'm thrilled that it did. She's 2 years and 7 months old and the only time she wears a diaper is overnight. I can practically see the End of Diapers Forever on the horizon.
Quynh's other milestone over the holiday break was learning how to climb in and out of her crib on her own. She frequently takes to her crib to "rest" (get a nuk fix). It's lovely that she likes to hang out in there, especially when we are making dinner. When she's done she yells, "Can someone get me out?!?" But one evening she did not call for help, but simply emerged from her room with a big smile on her face. Surely it was a one-time fluke, we hoped. But over the next few days she proved that theory wrong, easily climbing in and out at will.
So we got a sitter and went bed shopping. (Because I cannot imagine much worse than trying to make a decision about such a large purchase with two kids jumping on mattresses and asking me to play with them.) Quynh's only request was that we get her a "pink one". When we returned home and declared success, she asked a series of questions: "Where is it? Is it in the trunk [of the car]? Can I sleep in it? Is it pink?" We tried to explain that large items like beds have to be delivered and that for some strange reason pink beds are not that common.
So the bed arrives tomorrow and we're hoping the pink Hello Kitty sheets will take ker mind off the fact that her wooden bed is not pink but the color of, well, wood. Yes, tomorrow night my baby will sleep in her brand new Big Girl Bed for the first time. Yes, I am excited. And yes, I am little bit sad. But mostly I'm just wondering how she will handle sleeping un-caged. We all know how well that has gone in the past.
*I need to keep this in mind next year and start plotting what he can help me achieve in 2012.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Five
I have been a mother for five years. I have been tired, overwhelmed, and angry. I have been energized, playful, and elated. I have yelled and waved my finger. I have whispered secrets and rubbed noses. I have lost my patience. I have used my imagination. I would not trade it for anything.
Most importantly, I have raised a five-year-old who is:
Most importantly, I have raised a five-year-old who is:
- smart beyond my wildest dreams
- interested in all types of music
- an avid fan of mystery novels
- amused by slapstick comedy
- fascinated by animals
- an environmentalist
- determined to study all-things-prehistoric
- desperate to own a microscope
- hoping to one day do "real science experiments, with chemicals"
- planning to (also) be an architect
- the class clown
- a good friend
- practically a swimmer
- generous
- highly suspicious of Santa's existence
- sweet and loving toward his sister (mostly)
- sometimes shy
- frequently frustrating.....but
- always amazing
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