Mending Testing and Dressing

I'm doing better.

Ear infection, sinus infection, post flu aches have been replaced by the "comforts" of third trimester pregnancy.

                 HA!

I'm still battling soar throats and random cold stuff - but no coughing fits for almost a week now so I'm thrilled!

The house is getting closer and closer to habitation and Piper and I have been packing and weeding through "stuff" in preparation of our next big move. 

Been doing a lot of reading as I've been down about how excess stuff is detrimental to self directed play and creativity for kids. Kids thrive in organization without too many choices. Makes sense to me - So I've been creating play boxes and purging toys. 

Abby LOVES the play boxes.

Piper put away her train on top of him and he sat like that for an hour!

With Momma feeling better we've had a bit more fun lately.

And when I was making dinner the other day things got eerily quiet in the next room...

She had gone through the office and found Josh's map of the area.

She told me where we lived " by the water islands" and where Mimi and Papa live in relation to that.

She traced the path between our houses 

And had several options for adventurous travel planned.

We've been having some major testing lately.

 

Who me? Test as toddlers do?

Noooooo....

Bite and push kids at school after having had the same done to me??

I wouldn't dream of trying that out!

In truth Piper is a sweet and loving child. 

But she's also a toddler.

So we've had some - ehem - new situations to handle.

No temper tantrums that are epic - just an inability to hear.

Running from her very pregnant Mother. And finding control where she can.

Which of course brings up my control issues.

The more I tell her something the more she rebells. To this day I can't ask her if she has to go to the bathroom. 

Ever.

She'll hold it all day.

But if I trust she'll take care of her needs, she does.

Stubborn.

Don't know where she gets it.

And trust a toddler to pee when she needs to????

But she does. If I stay the heck out of it.

In the last few days Piper has taken to wearing every dress and tutu she owns at the same time.

That's a lot of layers.

Her record is 18 tutu/ skirts and 12 dresses

All at once.

And while I have to hide some of them and the house is covered in small clothing - it keeps her entertained and she can now dress herself.

I put the kabash on too many layers at school and this morning she launched into tears about it.

Then stopped herself, took a deep breath, and told me, " I'm not going to cry about tutus."

At which point I thought, "I'm not going to worry about some testing."