No More the Training Pants! It's time for big girl panties?

Squiggle Bug learned to use the potty a few months ago and she's pretty much a pro now. It's great, sudden hollering of "my poopoo coming! I go potty!" echo through out our little house on a regular basis followed shortly by "I did it!" and "Bye bye my poopoo! Bye bye my peepee!"

So with regular success of bye-bye peepee and bye-bye poopoo, it was time to get Squiggle Bug some new undergarments. Panties. Deciding to couple the Target shopping expedition with family time, we first went to see Toy Story 3. I've waited a long time for this movie and was more excited than the girls. Cute flick, we all enjoyed it including 2 year old Squiggle Bug. After crying through Toy Story 3, we headed with a grumpy, napless Squiggle Bug and the rest of the crew to go buy the new panties. Buying new panties is an exciting time. No more the training pants and stretched out undies from big sisters, it's time to pick out your very own panties! The general rule regarding trademarked characters on clothing in our home is lifted and any panties with any character are permitted. Even if they have no idea who Dora is.


I fully expected princesses or fairies. She doesn't know who the characters are really but she knows a princesses is anyone in a pretty outfit. She really likes princesses. We found our way to the baby section with toddler panties and found the smallest size. In a regrettable move I picked out some Tinker Bell and Friends panties and showed Squiggle Bug. One look and she was screaming no and hitting the package in my hands. Shocked but a little bit pleased I hung the offending package of panties back up. Not having learned our lesson, The Piano Man presented her with a set of the Micky Mouse Princesses and received the same reaction. Over and over she stomped around saying "I want MY panties!" Bewildered, we attempted to show her other potential selections, each received with a similar reaction.

I was determined to throw something in the cart, anything. Plain white panties weren't easy to find but I wasn't going home empty handed. Between the 5 of us there that had any hope of understanding what it was she wanted, none of us actually knew. Loitering in the toddler underwear aisle for a while was starting to feel awkward when I spotted a set of Toy Story undies. Thinking she would calm down upon recognizing the characters we just saw in the movie I showed Squiggles. It worked. She calmed down. Well, actually, she did an immediate 180, squealing and jumping up and down. Snatching the package out of my hands she squeaked "my Buzz! My Woody! My Panties!"


I looked at The Piano Man over our now enthusiastic 2 year old and tried to ignore the giggles and shocked whispers of her big sisters. He shrugged. "Boy underwear!" The Storyteller giggled uncontrollably.


And so it came to be that I bought my first package of little boy underwear. Reluctant to hand her package of undies over to the check out girl, Squiggles had to be comforted for the few seconds while it was scanned before gripping it tightly to her chest for the rest of the way to the van. As soon as we got home she wanted them on. Her favorite pair are the lime green ones with both Woody and Buzz on the butt. Modeling them for me, she got concerned when she couldn't find her new friends until twisting to look at her rear-end and then beamed up at me "There's my Woody! There's my Buzz!"


At 2 Squiggle Bug has figured out the secret I only learned a few years ago: boy undies are way more comfortable than girl panties. Screw the princesses, cowboys and spacemen rock for girls too.

Farewell baby, Hello toddler!

She has learned the word, the power word of toddlers the world over. No. It was official that she moved from baby to toddler when she started walking and denying it grew more difficult when she was running a week later. But still, somehow it didn't seem like she was really a toddler. Until two days ago. The moment was innocent enough, we were home from the day's activities and I had gotten Evangeline Claire out of the van, set her down to toddle up to the house as I grabbed the diaper bag and reminded the big girls what they were supposed to be doing which was not hitting each other with their bags and actually going to the house as well. In the midst of that particular chaos, Evangeline discovered a light on the inside of the van near the step and sliding side door. Captivated she alternated covering and uncovering the light, squealing with delight in how the light reappeared each time. It was cute. I joined in the game after issuing one last warning to the children still in the van giving Evangeline and me a sweet shared moment. We were giggling, me at her obvious delight in the light's little trick, her that the light was still there every time she moved her hand. And then, because I'm 31 and not almost 16 months, I tired of this activity (who has the attention issues I wonder) and invited her to hold my hand and walk to the house, pointing out the flowers blooming along the way. Evangeline looked at me sweetly pointing to the light and then ignored me by returning to the game. Visions of blood sucking insects filling our van, again I tried to redirect her, this time taking her hand and gently leading her away from the open door of the van. Concern and confusion crossed her sweet features and she grunted, pulling away from me. I talked happily, crossing to the pink flowers to entice her leave what I considered the mundane light. It didn't work. So I came back to her and told her it was time to go in now, there were too many mosquitoes out and let's go find a book in the house while again taking her hand and moving to close the door as I gently but firmly tried to lead her toward the walkway. Right then, after a little grunt and a look of frustration she discovered her stubborn tone and said "no." It was so final sounding, she really meant it. Suppressing a laugh I responded with "I know you want to stay but let's go find a book inside the house" while again leading her by the hand away from the van so I could safely slide the side door closed. With her hand in mine but resisting with everything she had she stomped her little feet in rapid succession yelling "no! no! no! no! no!" before collapsing in a heap of tears at my feet. No and a temper tantrum. Definitely a toddler now.

The squall didn't last long, soon she was standing against me, her arms clutching my neck as I kissed her cheeks and dried her little face. Speaking brightly I showed her the cheerful flowers again and she babbled crossing to them with interest, tears forgotten, she squatted to check them out then moved on to cross the threshold repeating "boo" over and over again on her way to pick out a favorite book to read together. As she played just minutes later, far too busy to sit still for a book I sighed at this new place we are entering together, me letting go of the baby, her discovering and exerting her will and the shaping of both child and parents that is sure to be a part of all of our growing up.

My baby is no longer a baby.

It happened suddenly and even though I suspected it would it is still a little sad. She still has the chubby cheeks and the little barrel belly with a little nose and pouty lips, she could still pass for a baby. Until she stands and walks across the room or dances to music on the stereo thus solidifying her place in toddlerhood. Unlike our other girls, Evangeline didn't go through a trying to walk phase, she simply didn't seem interested. She never held onto our fingers taking tipy-toe steps and giggling. There were no tottering attempts to stand and haltering steps followed by a plop on her bum. Content to crawl and cruise, she was far more interested in climbing: onto the couch, onto chairs, into cabinets and drawers, up the bunk-bed ladder, into the bath tub, onto tables and beds. After figuring out the up she started working on down and is pretty good too. Occassionaly we'd see her let go of the couch or chair, take a 2-3 steps and reach for the next piece of furniture in her way around the room. That was it. Nothing else to lead us to believe she was actually interested in walking. I started praying that she'd walk by Easter to properly show off the dress I've made for her, in white.

She started Friday, I wasn't with her for the first time in over a week. Jeremy and the girls were listening to music when she decided she wanted to dance with them. She left the couch and walked to the middle of the room to contribute her fancy dance moves. They cheered and she clapped for herself before continuing on to the table. She crawled a few more times but more and more she was spotted walking around from object to object pausing every now and then to clap for herself. By the time I got home she was napping and I was given reports from her excited sisters as to what amazing feets she had accomplished. When she got up she acted as though she had never done such things, crawling and cruising just as she had the day before. But then she remembered, stood herself up in the middle of the room and walked over to pick up a toy. There it was, it really happened. I couldn't pretend everyone else was making it up. I clapped and cheered for her and she clapped and cheered for herself.

She hasn't looked back. No falling or tottering, she is practically running now and loves to dance to any and every music she hears. She bounces, rocks, sways, and turns circles in her little dance. Asserting her independence, she doesn't walk TO people, only away and she doesn't see the point in holding hands. The only time she will walk to someone is if they are holding food but we all know that she's walking to the food, not the person. When friends were over Saturday night they commented how it looks like she's been walking for a little bit already, I suspect she's been doing it for months when nobody was looking.

So good bye baby, hello toddler!