Ohio Moms Blog

Why is "poopy" so popular?

I’ll be the first to admit that poopy is a funny word. It is a fun word to say, and I am certain I have said it more than I can count on my fingers and toes. There are websites dedicated to poopy humor and just about everyone I know giggles if the word poopy is used as an adjective, a verb, a noun, or as an expletive. Poopy has also become my 4 year old’s favorite word. Noone is safe from poopy in my house.

 My daughter has a terrific vocabulary for a 4 year old. She uses words such as octagon, obnoxious, fantastic, and now - poopy. Seems as if my son has a poopy foot, I have poopy hair, and my daughter’s dresses are now poopy dresses. What does that even mean? Whatever it means it is certainly funny, because every time my girl uses the word she giggles as if I am tickling her with a thousand feathers. She makes up songs with poopy too. The latest is sung to the melody of Mary Had Little Lamb and goes a little like this: “Loki (our dog) has a poopy butt, poopy butt, poopy butt. Loki has a poopy butt and it needs a diaper.” Proceeded by rolling on the floor with laughter. Her little brother was enlightened to the fact that there are not only cars on the road, but poopy cars. Again, what does that even mean?

The Kids Don’t Need to Be Afraid of Great Aunt Elsie

Time and distance can be a brutal combination when it comes to visiting extended family, especially family members who are quite up there in age. I tend to forget about my great aunt except for on holidays or when someone mentions Pensacola, Florida. It is horrible, and I’ll admit I am a bad great niece most of the time. Still, though, I want my kids to understand that family is important, and that we should try not to forget our elderly family members. We tend to forget them because they can’t visit like they used to, can’t hear on the phone, and don’t always have the energy to write a letter. I know my great aunt doesn’t drive any longer, and just getting around is hard for her.

Sure, great aunts can also smell funny and have hair in places they shouldn’t, but who doesn’t at the age of 90? My husband and I recently took a trip to Disney World in Florida, and we started and ended the trip with visits to each of our remaining great aunts. We knew they had gotten much older since we saw them years ago, and weren’t sure how the kids would react to our elderly family members. I was concerned because I remember as a kid being quite fearful of my great grandma, mainly because she seemed to have really saggy skin and was a bit out her mind (now I know it was because of Alzheimer’s). She looked much older than my “old” grandmother and she also couldn’t hear, which escalated my fear.

Caregiver or Parenting?

I’ve come to the realization that caregiving and parenting are not the same. When I became a mommy I knew that I was going to have to teach my children about proper nutrition, how to tie their shoes, and zip up their coats, and I could handle those tasks. As they grow, I realize I am also responsible for teaching my children things such as manners and how to be a good friend. Sometimes I wish I could just change diapers all day and not have to worry about explaining why or why not, or role modeling good behavior with play-by-play instructions. Being a parent and a caregiver is hard work. And, shucks, I already signed up.

Two incidents occurred the other day at the playground that put me to the test: 1.) my daughter told her friend she didn’t like her anymore, and 2.) My son ran into the parking lot. Both needed addressed, but in completely different ways. I wasn’t prepared to hear those despicable words uttered from my daughter’s mouth, and I certainly wasn’t expecting a jolt of shock to run through my body as I sped to rescue my son. When we left the playground I reflected on both things and felt I learned a lot about myself.

Too Young for a Princess Party?

My three-year-old daughter was recently invited to a princess party at Sweet and Sassy located at the Polaris Mall. The details of the party included the girls getting their nails done, hair put in an up do, make-up, princess dress-up dresses, and then a walk down the runway to show their new beauty. After the make-up and fashion show the children shopped for lotions, nail polishes, etc. and have cake and ice cream in a separate room.

I declined the invitation.

I said no to my daughter attending the party because I did not want her introduced to the thought that girls need make-up, nail polish, and pretty dresses to look beautiful. I felt she was too young to be strutting herself down a runway all gussied up. At three, she is just too impressionable, and I didn’t want her to take away from that party that she needed make-up and her hair done to be beautiful. It was awkward telling the party-giver that my daughter would not be attending. I wished I had a better excuse than the fact that I didn’t want her to go and be introduced to superficial beauty at such a tender age. I didn’t want to stick up for my decisions as a mother, because my decision for that party was not a popular one. It was difficult for me, and I blamed most of it on my husband because I was too scared to tell the honest truth.

Do Germs Always Come with Indoor Play Areas?

Columbus, Ohio is truly dreadful at this moment in time with all the melting snow and icicles waiting to impale my children or my dogs. I could tolerate the snow more if there was sun, and if I knew that every time I took my children to a public play area they wouldn’t get sick. I carry the mommy pouch full of Clean Well spray and wipes, Purell, and the like, but nothing really helps keep the germs away as well as just staying home…but, that is impossible because I am not willing to go insane or gain twenty-five pounds from continuous baking. So, indoor play areas at the malls, COSI, Kingdom of Bounce, and other places will come to my family’s aid for some out-of-the-house fun.

There are plenty of free and cost options for indoor play in Columbus, and they are fun for the kids. The kids get to do the things they don’t get to do indoor at home: run, scream, ride on toys, meet new friends, and get a change of scenery. With that, they also bring home the latest germy gunk that is out there. As I keep a keen eye on my children, I watch other little cuties at play. Many of them are picking their noses, sneezing without covering their mouths, eating their boogers, wiping their boogers on their clothing or the nearest thing, coughing on each other, having a regular ol’ germ-filled good time. I know they can’t help it, and I am not judging them for sharing their mucus with everyone because I know they are simply kids; but, I can’t help thinking that kid’s booger was my ticket to another puke-filled night.

Creating a Good Brushing and Flossing Foundation

My dad was diagnosed with cardio-myopathy four years ago and had two massive heart attacks two days before the Christmas of 2006. His difibulator/pacemaker combo saved his life. I had never given thought to heart disease in my family before, but now I think it about it all the time. The scary event of almost losing my dad made me do a bit of research on heart disease and ways to prevent it.  In my research, I found that one third of deaths among women is caused by heart disease (womensheart.org). That number scares me, especially considering I am now a mother of two very young children and they count on me. I also became privy to the fact that studies are going on that may link periodontal disease with heart disease. Wow, I thought, a very easy and cheap way to help keep my body healthy; but, more importantly, to teach my children good oral hygiene for more than just healthy teeth and gums. Good brushing and flossing routines could potentially save their lives.

From what I understand, the plaque build up between teeth causes harmful bacteria that not only eats away at the teeth, but also have a direct link to blood vessels that go to the heart.  When I was pregnant my midwife told me to floss, but I had no idea the powerful impact flossing and brushing could have on my heart health. I just thought flossing was important for a healthy pregnancy and I did it. Before pregnancy, I was an off again/on again flosser, not even thinking that toothpaste and mint-flavored string were just as important as my trips to the gym. Now that children are in the mix, I am more concerned about my health and I look at brushing and flossing differently.

The Evolution of Magazine Reads

As I sat peddling the bike at the gym, I reflected on the evolution of my magazine reading. My first glossy grocery store reads were teen magazines with hot guys plastered all over the cover, then I moved up to young adult reads with horoscopes and teeny bopper quizzes, fashion magazines with artsy fashion shots, and then to trashy tabloids and pop culture magazines. Good, old-fashioned adult-rated entertainment. Now that I am a mom, I read magazines for recipes, ways to get your children to sleep, the newest sunscreen advice, or how to get your family to all eat their vegetables. Who is this woman, and what have I done with myself?

In my younger days, I remember standing in the grocery store aisle determining which trashy magazine I would spend my allowance on, and anything that had a cake or child on the front made me pucker up as if I just ate a lemon. Noway was I going to spend my babysitting money on a magazine that taught me how to make the perfect summer salad. I wanted trash, plain and simple. As I got older, I enjoyed reading about Hollywood types in bad clothing, horoscopes that promised I’d meet the man of my dreams on the 3rd of the month, and quizzes that made me giggle as I read them in my bedroom for fear my roommates would see I actually did those (twice – to be sure I was TOTALLY honest the first time).

From Car Seat to Booster Seat

Silly. Just silly. That is what I told myself as I stood in the bathroom and cried for ten minutes. The last of the toilet paper was used up from blowing my nose and wiping tears off my face all over a car seat. My husband called from Babies R Us where he and our daughter picked out her new upgrade - a booster. He put my daughter on the phone and she excitedly exclaimed that the seat had cup holders and pink flowers. My immediate thoughts were: “It doesn’t even latch into the car! She is held there by just the seatbelt!” Her old convertable seat was getting small and the belts barely buckled when she wore a coat, but I didn’t want an upgrade. That upgrade meant my daughter was growing up, and I was not emotionally ready to deal with it.

When I first saw the booster seat I pretended buckling it was too hard. Hiking up my coat, leaning over, fighting with the belt, and sighing loudly were all for dramatic purposes. Perhaps if I wrestled with the belt for five more minutes my husband would say we could put the old seat back in. The old seat that held our baby girl for over three years safely in the car, the old seat I loved washing and caring for because it cared for our baby. He could tell my dramatic display was because I was having a hard time accepting the booster, a symbol of change and letting go.

Never on Time

Lately, my alter ego is the white bunny from Alice in Wonderland. I am always late and always completely stressed out about it. I am certain my high school band director would be disappointed because his motto was “to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late.” My neighbors get a real treat when I come bounding out the door with an exasperated look on my face sternly telling my kids to sit still so I can buckle their car seats each day. All the while my two little ones are talking about the snow, a stick they found, how they need a drink, or want a toy to play with on the ride. They are so calm and not worried about a thing. Those are the moments I wish they could frolic in the snow or wave their new stick around like a wand; but no, I am late - as usual.

The holiday time is not an excuse nor that it is winter and hibernation is in order, this lateness problem started when the kids were born. I am not blaming them, but there seems to be a direct correlation. It literally takes us an hour and a half from the time the announcement is made that we need to leave until we have our coats on and are walking out the door.  My darling three year old goes through at least two outfits before she chooses the same dress she always wears, my one year old son decides that dumping his milk on the dog is a great idea, and also decides to take his daily bowel movement as soon as I turn off the last light. Thanks, son, couldn’t you have done that earlier?! My daughter was late for preschool the entire month of December because she chose school days to sleep passed 8:00 a.m. Why did she decide those were the two days she was tired when the rest of the week she’s up at 7:00 a.m. on the dot?