Shopping with Isabella

Now I know it was crazy but I decided to take Bryce and Isabella to Target two days before Christmas, ALONE. This was the first time I had taken both of them alone to any store, and I picked the one store that gets me in trouble. I knew I was a major sucker for Isabella, but I wasn't sure what would happen when I was outnumbered. How much would this trip cost me? We went to get their cousin, Katlyn a birthday and a Christmas gift. Upon hearing this, Isabella voiced her concern seing that Target is her store "OK, just to make sure, we are getting me a gift as well right?". I told her we would see, but we are going to get her cousin a gift first. After a painstaking one and a half hours of changing my mind 7 times, calling my sister for advice, and fighting the aisles with the over-sized cart that had the extra cab for kids that I somehow assumed would make shopping easier, I was successful with phase one. Now I had to pay the price. Ok Isabella lets pick out something small for you and Bryce. I am not sure if small triggered Isabella to look for the most expensive small item in the toy store or what but I think she was checking out the prices before she picked anything. I got out with only spending an extra $10. Thank goodness they didn't have the Barbie Dreamhouse she has been asking for.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, what have they done to you?

Oh the new Gallahan tradition of decorating the Christmas tree. Tammy turns on the Christmas music to set the mood. Isabella gets dressed for the occasion (this year her Jasmine princess dress, last year Sleeping Beauty). Pull the tree out of the box and proceed to decorate. Now let me give you some advice on how to decorate when you have a two year old, at least when that two year old is Bryce. Pretty simple really keep all valuable decorations out of arms length. We invested in plastic ornaments last year. Win - no bulb was broken, however a few were eaten. Loss - the  bottom quarter of the tree was emptied. This year would be different, Bryce was a year older surely he would leave the tree alone. So we proceed to decorate. All goes well Bryce and Isabella beautify the tree. The next day the poor tree didn't know what it had coming. At first just a few bulbs disappeared, then a few more, then a couple more and in no time the tree was stripped of its dignity. Oh well it makes taking the tree down go faster.

Clarity

"Isabella tonight you are going to go to bed a little early".
Isabella "no thats ok".
"How about yes and how about instead of one story I read you a couple stories".
Stop. This is where I made the mistake. No, not in trying to bargain with my child, but by not being clear on the bargain.
"Ok while I get ready for bed you go pick the stories you want me to read"
Now even less clear. I walk in Isabella's room and there are about twenty books in a pile on the floor.
"Isabella why are all those books on the floor"
Isabella "These are the couple stories I picked".
New bargain three stories.

Why?Why?Why?

I need help to some questions Isabella is asking, my answers and diversions lead to more questions. I think she is going to realize I don't know everything.
Isabella - Why is the sky blue?  
Me - Because it's not green
Isabella - Why can't it be green?
Me - Because the trees are green and you wouldn't be able see the sky.
Isabella - Why are the trees green?
Me - Would you rather they be pink?
Isabella - No they can't be pink.
Me - Flowers are pink and those are pretty
Isabella - That's nice but why is the sky blue?
Me - Maybe it's not blue you just think it is
Isabella - No it's definitely blue.
Help

A Dose of Reality

A small conversation with Isabella gave me a dose of reality....
Tammy had made KoolAid the night before and it is sooo awesome to wake up in the morning and have a nice cold glass of KoolAid, and it was grape yumm. Isabella was with me and shared in my excitement when I went to get her a drink in the morning. I said Mommy made KoolAid last night isn't she the BEST. Isabella in agreement "Yeah Mommy is the BEST". I tried to sneak one by her "Daddy is the BEST too huh". Reality check "No you can't be the BEST if Mommy is the BEST". Then she added "Daddy you are too silly".

Back to the Beginning

I am the chosen one. I am the official bed time story reader for Isabella, and trust me no one else will do. You can try and replace me,  but you will fail. Isabella only wants the best and apparently that is me, sorry. Tammy can attest, she has tried to trick Isabella into letting her read, but Isabella is on to her game "you just get me started for bed but Daddy will read me a story". This honor does comes with a price, we tend to read the same story over and over. I have read a book called Pinkalicious every night for the last 3 weeks. Pinkalicious is a story about a girl who turns pink because she eats too many pink cupcakes, I can recite it on demand. I've tried to spice up the story and change the cupcakes to blue or green, but I have no creative license and I am quickly admonished. The other night my reading must not have been up to standard because half way through the story Isabella stopped me and said "wait you need to go back to the beginning and try again". I tried to protest "but we are already half way through". Demanding perfection she said "that's ok we'll get back to this spot" The next night we "lost" the book. Maybe in a few weeks we will find it but I'm not promising anything.

Why did I not see this coming?

The Batman toy must stay home

    I have a friend at work that just bought a black Ford Mustang with black leather interior, he calls it the Batmobile. I know he sounds like a dork, you would dead on.  The other day I went to McDonalds and got two Happy Meals, one for Bryce and one for Isabella. In the boy Happymeal there was a batman toy and a batmobile toy. I thought I have to bring this to my friend at work he will get a kick out of it. Of course instead of just thinking this I made the mistake of saying it in front of Isabella, one day I'll learn. Now, this toy seemed important and she told me "no you don't need to bring that to work". I told her I wanted to bring it to my friend because it looks like his car. She said "no you just need to leave it here, we can play with it now". I told her that's fine we can play with it now and I will bring it to work tomorrow. She "no it just needs to stay here". Now I'm not proud of my response or the outcome but I said "well Isabella this is Bryce's toy and he said I could have it". She had an excuse look on her face, because Bryce can't talk, she tilted her head and said "OK you can bring it to work but you need to bring it back afterwards". That is the last time I pull the Bryce card, that didn't work at all.

Ten ways to know that Bryce has been there

I feel I have not written much about Bryce. It is not because there isn't much to write about him but completely the opposite. Bryce is either eating some toy or breaking another. He shows no fear at the playground and has gone down the slide just about every way you can, sideways, upside down and he even tried to go down standing up, but only once. He doesn't understand that he shouldn't stand on chairs even when he falls which impressively isn't often. He isn't clumsy but he tends to bump his head into things quite often. He absolutely loves brushing his teeth, taking baths, and bedtime stories. Maybe I have slacked on writing about him because he doesn't say much. Although he doesn't say much, it is easy to tell when he has been around.
Ten ways to know that Bryce has been there

1. All of the safety covers for your outlets are missing
2. Your drink is missing or empty - doesn't matter what kind its fair game
3. Your books are all over the floor, and that one has a bite taken out of it
4. Your remote is missing the batteries - darn little fingers
5. Your dolls heads are either chewed or popped off - I just refuse to buy another Belle doll
6. If you have baby wipes, they are now all over the floor
7. Your cell phone is missing, oh there it is he threw it down the stairs
8. Your condiment containers have been taken out of your fridge
9. Your shoes are missing part of their soles
10. The socks you laid on the couch because you were going to put them on are now wet - you left them alone didn't you, rookie mistake

I'm not the Chef

We were driving to get some dinner and Tammy asked Isabella what she wanted to eat. She said she wanted pancakes. Not just any pancake but the Happy Face pancake, IHOP makes this. She has only had it twice but she can tell you that the hair is made of yogurt, the eyes are made of strawberries, whip cream for the nose and bananas for the mouth. Well she had a new idea she said they need to make a snowman pancake. I very rarely cook but I told her "How about next time I make pancakes I make a snowman pancake". Clearing up my apparent confusion she said "mommy is the chef you are the customer".

Sweet but no help

Isabella was getting a little crazy and she accidentally knocked my drink over and all the ice went on the floor. Ever so sweetly she exclaimed "I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that". So I said "its ok how about you help me clean it up". With the same sweet tone "Oh I can't I'm sorry I'm too busy". Moment spoiled.

Shopping alone with Isabella

 I have decided it is too dangerous to go shopping alone with Isabella. Tammy wanted me to go to the store to get some spaghetti noodles for dinner. Seems harmless enough should cost $1.15. I decided to go to Target, risky. Isabella wanted to go as well, I could be in trouble here. There are a few things I learned at Target while shopping with Isabella.
1.The aisle with the cleaning supplies, the aisle with the exercise equipment, and the aisle with the picture frames are my aisles. The aisle with the Disney princesses belongs to Isabella.
2. Isabella sometimes just wiggles it doesn't mean she has to go to the bathroom. She told me this personally. Five minutes later we were headed to the bathroom.
3. She really needed a new princess.
4. To Isabella everything is only a couple dollars.
5. I'm gonna go broke if I contiue to hang out with Isabella at Target.
My $1.15 trip turned into a $40 visit. When I got home Tammy called me a sucker and Isabella chimed in "Daddy's a sucker". I'm gonna remember that next time.