Adventures in Toddler-Sitting

I have a new job. The title is a work in progress however - "Toddler Event Coordiantor" is what I've been calling myself this week.

I say this is my employment title because I've done more activities with my daughter Vivian in the past month than I have in her entire two years of existence.  The past four weeks have been insanely filled with social events and new experiences.

That's right - today marks four weeks that we've been here in Pensacola (and living in a hotel)!  Holy crap how time flies by! 

In just four week's time, I have done so many incredible things, like:

• Join two different moms groups
• Visit three different public parks
• Teach Vivian how to count from one to ten 
• Attend an open toddler gymnasium center
• Make two visits to a coffee shop for a play date
• Take a ceramics painting class
• Teach Vivian how to recognize most farm, zoo and marine animals from flash card photos
• Attend a birthday party/Halloween bash
• Have dinner with a new friend and her family
• Visit three breakfast diners
• Visit several restaurants and bars for dinner
•  Visit the National Naval Aviation Museum
•  Climb into two different Chick-Fil-A indoor playgrounds
•  Visit the mall
•  Be quoted in the local newspaper (yeah, already! Me! I wish I could scan in my quote for you but alas, there is no scanner in this hotel)
•  And other things that are failing to come to my mind at the moment

I can hardly believe that I've done all those things, but somehow with determination and energy (and my desire to leave my tiny hotel room every single day), Vivian and I made it happen.

Gosh, that's a lot! Now, normally I don't brag or toot my own horn (my husband does enough farting for everyone in the family so there's no need for me to do so), but I'm proud of those accomplishments.  I think I will give myself a pat on the back right now. (...Patting away....ooooh, that feels good..... I need a back rub now....)

Seriously though, I am so happy that I have stayed so active and put myself out there day in and day out.  I said I would use this time to stop and smell the roses, to get out and enjoy my community and well, I have.   Granted, it is easy to do when I have a car to drive to and from each location and I'm selecting affordable or free activities.  But my point is that I'm making the effort.  I'm taking it all in and doing as much as Vivian and I can stand before we close on the house and spend two weeks unpacking boxes. 

Just yesterday, I remembered the film, "Adventures in Babysitting."  As a tween and teenager, I loved this movie.  I admired the main character played by Elisabeth Shue for getting through the longest babysitting night of her life.  In my younger days, I wished (oddly) that my babysitting experiences were more fun and thrilling like her night -- getting out of the suburbs to explore the bigger city, singing in a night club, having a throw-down with thugs in a subway, etc.   Thank gawd none of those incidents have ever occurred in my life. 

Now, I am making my own adventures by being a stay-at-home mom to Vivian.  And though no danger is involved, this new thrill ride still has its drama, scary moments, laughter and climax-filled days. 

Some days are really great - like on Wednesday when I watched Viv paint a ceramic plate for the first time.  For a little girl who never liked getting her hands dirty, she sure had fun smearing paint on that plate and on her hands, face, clothes, etc.  At our park visits, I'm watching in amazement at her climb slides and play in sandboxes.  These are things that the Diva NEVER would have attempted months before.  I feel so lucky that I'm witnessing her achievements and play moments.

Other days are down-right awful!!  Like on Tuesday when Vivian had about ten meltdowns in the middle of a gymnastics play center in front of twenty+ other kids and their parents. Then I had my own tantrum right next to her.  With all the crying she did and the stares from other parents, I finally lost it myself.  I sat down and had a good cry right next to her kicking and screaming.  Umm, yeah.... not our finest moments of being mother and daughter.   There was another day when I dragged her out of the mall while she had a terrible fit.  My skin was thicker on that day though.  I didn't shed a tear.

That is real life folks.  You have your high points and your low points of motherhood with a few in-between moments as well. 

I never know what to expect with my daughter -- how she'll react to a new situation, if she's going to bully the other children around her or if she'll be the one charming everyone in the room.  The unknown can be downright scary, I tell you! 

The same thing rings true with adults.  I've attended quite a few meetups with other moms.  Some of them went great, with friendly faces and lots of good conversation.  Other times, no one hardly spoke to me or acknowledged me.  I felt isolated and alone. 

Still, I move forward.  I have my letdown moment; then I pick myself up again.  Why?  Because I'm determined to explore and do whatever fun activity I can.  Now is my golden opportunity and I don't wish to take it for granted. 

This experience has not been easy.  Certaintly not a piece of cake by any means. Overall though, I am enjoying it.  I'm glad that I'm stuck living in a tiny hotel room because it's forcing me to kick my social activities and nomad instincts into high gear.
 

I'm out there, enjoying life for the first time in years.  Not every day is a joy.  Some days I want to pull my hair out, (especially the gray ones!!).  But every day, I become a little bit more at ease in my new surroundings and a little bit more confident that I can do this stay-at-home parenting gig. 

With some effort, I can keep myself busy and not go stir-crazy.  I just have to be creative, resourceful and put myself out there. 

And who knows where these moments will lead me?  Who knows what people and experiences I will encounter next?  Honestly, I can't wait to find out!! 

Perhaps "Toddler Event Coordinator" is the wrong choice of words.  Maybe my new title should be - "Enjoy Life More Coordinator."

I'm sitting down in the seat of this rollercoaster ride.  I'm buckling myself in.  I'm anxious to see where the next twist, turn and spin on this track leads me.

 

And one day when I'm 80 years old, when I'm the social activities director of my fellow nursing home residents, I will look back at my younger days and hopefully say.... "Wow, what a ride.  What a life I had!" ;-)