There are 854 results for books about "toddler sleep" on Amazon.com

I've read a few of them.

This.  This is the jackpot of toddler parenting

We joke that girl is a natural born sleep fighter.  But last night was the second in a row where she fell asleep half way through Amos & Boris... at 7:30pm.  Before you run out and buy a copy of Amos & Boris for every insomniac/ parent - the stupid science of this sweet gift occurs when she skips her nap.  I'm guessing we are in the netherland zone which will eventually result in no nap - as it stands now the nap happens about 50% of the time.  The great inconvenient truth is that kids basically sleep when they are tired.  Of course, it's our job to present a predictable schedule and encourage sleep at the right times.   But so far I've had little luck forcing this small person to do anything.  Not to say I haven't been known to utter through clenched teeth, "please close your eyes and close your mouth", as 9 pm rolls around and I'm being serenaded with mashups of Old MacDon (sic), the preschool goodbye song and Skinnamarink...

Amos & Boris happens to be a pretty awesome book - it's about a journey, a friendship and about how having an open heart can change, maybe even save, your life.  It's sweet.  According to The New York Times Book Review -- "The book is funny and earnest, pellucid and profound."

New Year

M's imaginary life is in full swing.  Popular alter egos include a baby called Archie, a girl named Macarona or Sally, the virgin Mary, a frog... among others.  Phone conversations with Mickey and Elmo are de rigueur.  It's incredibly entertaining.  We like it too.

Some pictures from the end of 2011...

camera thief

there are so many of these "stollen" pictures

Christmas

Christmas break - we need to get out of the apartment...

... 7:15pm train to Washington DC

The National Gallery

Love

showing monkey

back home - New Year's Eve

'Tis the Season

As the end of the year looms large (shockingly only 11 days to go according to the lights in Time Square this morning), it's natural for some introspection and a mixture of the opposing urges to motivate and hibernate to take hold.  It's just regular old time, but these ends and beginnings become so full - (I was going to add "of meaning" but it's that and more).  A welcome attraction/distraction has been M's rapt obsession with Christmas.  It's pretty awesome to follow her lead in the holiday cheer department.  As I think I've covered here in the past, a strong vein of skepticism ran through me as a child so I sort of feel like I've got Santa-mania for the first time.  I like it.  And the reindeers!!!  and Frosty!!! We are still ironing out some details, for example - "Happy Birthday, Santa!" - gets thrown around, especially when there is a party to attend.  In fairness, I can see how baby Jesus would come across as a minor player as he's not depicted in blow-up form on every street corner, a work in progress...

A current favorite book is, "Llama, Llama, Holiday Drama".  And some recent randomness...

7:33 pm - Goodnight

20 fellow two year olds (and some cousins) takes it out of a girl.  He is such an opportunist.  

Walking to Her 2nd Day of School

Happy Birthday!

Our chicken is 2 years old today.  To celebrate, I took her to Coney Island to see the sights!  She loved the subway ride, the aquarium and the boardwalk.  A perfect day.  She's become quite the present unwrapper, exclaiming, "oh my goodness" as she pulls the paper off.  Some pictures from the day...

headdress is for her obsession with white peacocks

picking up imaginary froggies

coffee run

Elmo came with us

yeah, subway!

once she spotted the sand it was impossible to keep dress and shoes on

awesome

unicorn love in the kitschy boardwalk store

she has never had a lollipop but this one was speaking to her, clearly

kitschy store inspection

why didn't I buy this?

two!

may all your wishes come true, my sweet and sassy girl!

Oh, S#*t!

the accessory is NOT an everyday item

Anyone who has talked with me lately might it find hard to believe, but I do have some awareness that discussing poop isn't nearly as interesting to most people as it is to M and me (exceptions would be other parents of toddlers and toddlers themselves).  So I will have to come up with another topic for this post.  Meaning.  Meaning?

On Monday, my wallet was stollen from our stroller bag while M and I were playing with friends by the Central Park Lake.  Total freaking bummer.  After canceling my credit/debit cards I spent Tuesday at the DMV getting a new driver's license and later at the Central Park Precinct filing a police report (notably, not a short process).

Earlier today, I got a call from a woman who had found my wallet under a tree while geo-caching in the park!  A quick trip up to 84th Street and wallet and I were reunited.  Aside from having been freed of cash (imagine that) and a little damp, it was otherwise exactly as I had last seen it. Knowing that geo-caching lady had had to sort through the expressive disorder that is the contents of my wallet to find my phone number on a camera repair slip was a little embarrassing, but hey, what are you going to do.

Intermission - just got an email from Barack Obama, subject line: "Frustrated".  I hear you, Mr. President.

When the wallet was stollen, I found myself wondering was there some lesson to be learned (deeper than don't leave your stuff waving in the breeze, stupid).  Wondering if things happen randomly or for a reason... is every step of our life predetermined or wide open?  Boomerang-y thoughts aside, by the time geo-caching lady called me, I had basically moved on.  Gratitude notwithstanding, the return of the wallet and its now inert contents is somehow just as existentially flummoxing as having had it taken in the first place.

P.S. I am still trying to find meaning in the loss of my iPhone.  Maybe when the new one is released the universe will reveal itself.

P.P.S. As I am rereading, I find it amusing to think that I have a greater audience in mind for this blog.  Maybe I should have just done the poop post...