Not such a girly girl

So, I am totally fine with boys wanting to do “boy” stuff, but Chris has Paiton walking around the house making deer and elk noises (the elk bugle is actually quite accurate, well as accurate as a 2 year old can get). Her favorite thing to do is watch hunting videos on youtube. I am NOT exaggerating about this at all. She walks around the house randomly making all these crazy noises, or says her baby is doing it. Chris is a great dad and spends as much time with Paiton as he can. Her favorite thing to do with him is go out behind our house to look at the deer.

Going to look for deer

A little background info, we live near a wooded area, and deer come close to our house to graze. Chris has a wild animal fetish; he likes to watch them, chase them, and hunt them. Since we moved to Michigan, Chris has not had the opportunity to go hunting, so he makes sure he gets to at least watch the animals. He takes Paiton with him and they sit in the field, or on a small hill in the trees and wait for the deer to come. There are a couple apple trees and they shake apples out of the trees, so that the deer will have something to eat. Paiton will usually munch on one while she waits. If we have apples for a snack or treat or something, Paiton will almost always hold it up and say something to the effect “save for deer mommy?”

Getting apples down for the deer

She sees one

Chris said sitting and waiting for the deer are some of the only times he has ever seen her sit still and quiet, other than when she is sleeping. I guess I can’t complain though, I always said I didn’t want any little “girly girls”. She definitely is not girly, other than she totes her babies and purses around with her everywhere, even to go watch the deer.Here are some random pictures we took on sunday while out on a family walk/hike. (I just started using a new camera, and I am not so good with it yet. I ended up deleting a ton of pictures because they were really fuzzy)

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if you drew all over yourself with a Sharpie???

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if you took a Sharpie and drew all over yourself? Well you are in luck I can show you. It doesn’t look as cool as one might think.
A few days ago I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, trying, but with no avail, to get Paiton occupied with something other than wreaking havoc in the kitchen. Well she finally settled down in the living room playing with her toys and reading books. I finished up dinner and even had time to wash a few dishes. I was so proud of myself, acting a bit like super mom with a wonderful hot meal almost finished, a clean kitchen… that’s when I remembered that little girl of mine. Something was not quite right. You know when they are being too quiet, nothing good (except maybe an occasional nap) can ever come from those quiet times. Well let me tell you what… I walked into the TV room to find my litter Paiter covered in blue Sharpie. To give her credit, she did have a small notebook sized piece of paper covered almost completely on both sides. She at least tried to fight off the urge to use her body as a fresh piece of canvas.
I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. After all, it did look really funny. I think she tried to draw a mustache on her face, only it happened to be on her chin.
Just then Chris called from school, he wanted me to come and pick him up. Great… now he will know I really am NOT a supermom; he will have actual proof. Oh well, there goes that title.
Chris helped me figure out how to get it off, but it was kinda confusing for the kid, because later in the week we went with some friends to an apple festival, where I let her get her hand painted. So much for the “we don’t draw on our skin, only on the paper”, speech.

Where, oh where has my sweet little girl gone? Where, oh where could she be??

Paiton has hit the “terrible two’s” stage with full force, and Chris and I are praying that it doesn’t last long. She used to be the sweetest little girl in the whole world. She was caring, loving, friendly, etc. Now we have Paiton, the tantrum throwing, screaming, whining, two year old. She always seems to do the exact opposite of what you ask her to do, unless you are trying reverse psychology, and then she does exactly what you ask of her. She is too freakin’ smart for me. This stage better not last much longer. I think I am going crazy!!!!! The real kicker is at times she can still be so cute and loving, that is as long as she is getting whatever she wants, when she wants it. What is a mother to do??
Another fun thing Paiton has started doing is taking off her diaper/underwear and peeing on stuff. Chris had put her to bed last night and later looked in to check on her. Guess who was laying diaper-less, on a pee soaked blanket? I think she can tell it bugs us, so she does it even more. Somehow I have to hide my frustration, I don’t know how, but I am sure I’ll figure it out. I think it doesn’t help that both she and I are really stubborn. She doesn’t want to give in to me, and I don’t want to give in to her. Oh well, this too shall pass…and if it doesn’t, we will send her to and all girls boarding school.

I can't think of a good title.

I struggled with what I wanted to title this blog post. I don’t have much to talk about, but I just wanted to explain a thought that ran through my head today. I think I am finally starting to mature a little. Well maybe I won’t go that far, but I found it really interesting that I was sitting on my duff at my in-laws house, when I decided to watch a little TV. I started flipping through the channels and got to a channel that was telling a little bit about President Monsen (the president of the LDS church), giving his credentials before he was going to speak. To my surprise, I decided I would stay on that channel, and then the real kicker was, I sat and watched the whole talk he gave. I think I must be growing up or something. The other “grown-up” thing I have been doing is going to church. Anybody who knows me or my family knows we go to church, but the crazy thing is I go now because I want to, not because I think I have to (ya know so I won’t go to “HE double hockey sticks” or anything like that) . I usually don’t even complain anymore. I want you to remember that I have a 2-year old, so if I wanted to complain I could, but I usually don’t.
Oh yeah, something funny happened last Sunday; I was in Salt Lake City visiting my sister and her husband, and Paiton went to their church’s nursery. Now here comes the funny part… Another kid in nursery bit Paiton on the cheek. Kinda weird, I know. How would her cheek be the first thing he got a hold of? I later found out the little boy that bit her is the son of first or second counselor in the bishopric. I think I am going to tell him we no longer want to be LDS. Just kidding, but it was kinda random. Anyway, the part I really wanted to tell you was that because of the bighting Paiton will randomly throughout the day say “MOMMY, kids hurt me”. It sounds really sad and tearful, but the way she says it makes me laugh every time. She yells my name (MOMMY!!!!), and then says, in her saddest Paiton voice, while touching her cheek, “kids hurt me”. I should record it so you can laugh as much as I do. I know that sounds cruel, laughing, but it really is funny, because it happened a week ago, and she is totally fine, the mark is gone, and there is nothing there, but just randomly through the day she will pipe up and tell me how “the kids hurt me”.

Kids and Prayers

I wanted to take a minute and tell you all how cool my 2 year old is. I am certain that any of you who have already met Paiton know she is gorgeous, smart, funny, and just about every other good thing a kid can be. Once in a blue moon, mostly when she is sick, she will act like a regular tantrum throwing 2 year old. But I am trying to focus on the positive here. Anyway, Chris and I are really focused on Paiton learning to say her prayers; let me just tell you how stinkin’ cute this is. Every single time we pray, (even after she tells us she is not going to pray this time) she folds her arms, bows her head, looks to make sure everybody has their eyes closed, and starts in with “unwonah, heanly fotter, jesus, daddy, mommy, airpane, gamma, papa, Jesus, AMEN!! (I still can’t tell what she is saying right at the beginning, I’ll keep working on it) Oh yeah with the “amen” part she throws her hands in the air like she has just finished hog typing a calf (If you have ever seen or been to a rodeo, you know what I am talking about). On the few occasions that she will let either one of us help her with the prayer, she will repeat the last word of every sentence or phrase we have said. I have a hard time keeping a straight face during a prayer. I love it though, we as a family have never been so excited to say prayers.

Paiton is the best!!

I never thought I would want to start my own blog, but I am caving into peer pressure. What ya gonna do?
Paiton is growing into the coolest little girl in the whole wide world. (I know every mom thinks their kid is the best, but mine really is) She is chuck full of energy, and has a thirst for knowledge. She loves having books read to her, that is about the only time she will sit still unless she is sleeping. I love reading books that have funny words in them, or I read something really fast just to have her try to copy what I have said. It really is quite funny!
Chris taught Paiton to do some magic tricks, but my favorite part of the whole thing is when she says "abadaba"(abracadabra), and "tada".
She has also started potty training herself. I LOVE IT!!! I bought a Little potty for her and she loves using it. She will set it up all by herself, and then yell to Chris or I "book". The bathroom is where we do some of our best reading. She could sit there all day and be great as long as we are reading her books.