Your Toddler This Week , Dinner & Valentine's Day

"Your toddler this week"
Yeah - many of you moms out there know what that email is. Or you get the "My baby this week" email or "My pregnancy this week" and so on.  It's that weekly email you get from Babycenter that tells you what to expect (or not expect) from your child this week. I have to say, I love these emails. I look forward to seeing if it matches what Julianna is doing ... or if it's way off for us. This week, it hit right on the money! Julianna is 20 months and 3 weeks. Here is what they said:


Don't let your toddler's unpredictable behavior keep you from enjoying an occasional meal out. Treat yourself! Choose a family-friendly restaurant – any place with a kids' menu, crayons and paper, and a din loud enough to drown out squeals and whines. Take along a few small toys and snacks (crackers, cubes of cheese, cut-up fruit) to keep your toddler occupied. These diversions should buy you enough time to enjoy most of your meal.


Unpredictable? You can say that again. Happy one minute, tantrum the next! It's par for the course at her age - but I still like to be reassured that this is 'normal' behavior. We typically do follow all these rules for eating out (as we do eat out at least once a week). We go to a child-friendly place that is usually loud, and we bring her crayons & coloring books, small toy, plenty of snacks, etc. We are usually able to keep her occupied for about an hour including the meal. Anything that goes over an hour, we are then playing on borrowed time. Sometimes she will make it fine past an hour..... Other times, we have to rush-rush to get the check & bolt out of there once she hits her 'expiration' point. The good thing is, we have been bringing her out since day seven {gasp!} and I feel that by her going out with us all the time, this has helped her to adjust when we are out now. But she is still a "toddler". She has her limits, and big ones!

My husband and I love taking Julianna out with us. But I will say, we really do look forward to getting a babysitter and getting out of the house alone for adult time. As parents and a married couple, you still need that. Don 't let anyone tell you different. Adult "couple" time is super-essential. Dinner, good conversation and a nice glass of wine. 

 Happy Valentine's Day ! I hope you are all spending it with your Valentine sweetheart, whether it be your husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, friends, dogs, cats, kids, or pet mouse! Everyone needs a Valentine!


I am making Colombian Flank Steak for my husband tonight. Yummm. It's one of his favorite dinners that I make! Thursday, we also have a nice night out planned for us. I'm very much looking forward to that! 

photo credit: shass.mit.edu

Here is an unrelated (but funny) picture of Julianna with Pepper. Check out Pepper licking the binkie as soon as poor, unsuspecting Julianna is busy with her sippy cup. Evil Pepper. She plays it all cool when Julianna is looking, but the minute she turns her back - Pepper moves in for the kill and licks the binkie!  mmmmmmm!