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Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The Lydster, Part 36a: Happy Birthday plus one

Friend Dan wrote:
"What! How did she get so old??"
Darned if I know.
My friend Deb wrote:

Great pictures of Lydia. Have you tried monster spray? www.monstergoaway.com(this is my question--I think it needs some research. There are lots of web sites and suggestions that a new label on air freshener will also do the trick.) I believe you can get it at CVS. We also had a doll named Baby who now lives on top of the desk in
my daughter's room (now 22 and about to go off [out of the country again]. Providence).
My friend Shirley wrote:

[My granddaughter] is four now, as you probably recall, and a look at your
blogspot reminds me that [she and] Lydia have some things in common, like being adored little girls and first and (to date) only children, with verbal and demonstrative parents. L's pictures suggest that she is a tremendously happy and well-balanced kid. The same is true of our granddaughter. We're realizing that first and "only," and therefore highly verbal kids, carry a heavier cognitive burden--lots to deal with in their little brains. I love it that you chase the monsters from L's room. But they sure do come back. It doesn't seem to us at all unusual for this stuff to go on longer than you'd like. Our little girl has been interacting with her nocturnal monsters for a couple of years now. Our daughter, a little tired of being wakened at 2:00 AM and trying to "do the right thing" and "explore the causes," now has a bed in her daughter's room and sleeps there some of every night.
That probably would get her a black mark by child-raising gurus, and we're not recommending it, but it's also not a permanent arrangement; she will grow out of this stage. Meanwhile it eliminates a lot of stress on all sides. My granddaughter sleeps better and so does my daughter. It also honors her concerns, which means she'll go on telling them about whatever is on her mind and not shutting up like a clam, and it deals with the "symptom" until the super structure of reality adjusts
to--well, reality. (Part of reality could be getting big enough physically so your parents bedroom doesn't seem like a thousand miles away.) No doubt Lydia, like our grannddaughter, knows perfectly well that it's "all in her head," but that it's none the less scary."

Well, it's not every night, but sometimes, Lydia does end up in our bed, or she and I or Carol and I in the guest room, not so much from monsters while she's awake, but from nightmares.
This from intrepid reporter Mark:

Here is my theory: Respond as to whether you agree or not.

The worst years for all parents come in intervals of 3:

Newbown: Yeah, cute is one word. Another is ... well, that's three words.
3: Tantrums, with vocabulary.
6: Over that whole kindergarten phase where they are proud they can follow rules.
9: Think they're 12.
12: Think they're 15.
15: They are 15.
18. They are off on their own, and they're not ready.
21. They are really off on their own, and you're not ready.

That is off the top of my head. Discuss amongst yourself.


Yes, newborn WAS tough. Someone told me recently that boys tend to be more terrible at two, while girls are more terrible at three. Anyone want to comment on that theory?

ROG

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is truly amazing how fast time goes. They are three already! Do you keep in touch with anyone else from our Bradley class? I know Dee Dee is still on an island somewhere in the South Pacific. Otherwise, I have not run into anyone.

Take care,
Mary

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Lydia! Very nice. I hope Carol is better.
xox, K

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Lydia! She has a very sunny smile and a lot of light in her eyes! Beautiful little girl you have!

POP

Anonymous said...

Roger,
She’s definitely a lively, little cutie and her Dad is clearly besotted with her.

Joyce

Anonymous said...

Roger
she looks more like you now than she did when she was a baby, she has definitely got your cheeks daddy.
Tom

Nik said...

At 3 and one month, Peter's entered a particularly naughty phase the last week or so, lots of rather violent talk "I will hit you in the head and you will bleed" etc. Hoping it's just a brief phase.....

Anonymous said...

Roger : How time goes by, sometimes too fast. Bob

Anonymous said...

Blessings to little Lydia, who is getting bigger every day. There is a song from a Broadway musical that is sung to a little baby that goes "It takes a lot of love to make a pound." Just think, Lydia, how much love it takes to make a year! And then, just think, three years!!!

Congratulations and blessings,

JS & family

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to Lydia for me. Hope things are well with you and family. ---- JIm.