Horse-Back

"I sit astride life like a bad rider on a horse. I only owe it to the horse's good nature that I am not thrown off at this very moment. " -Ludwig Wittgenstein

If I learned one thing yesterday, it's that parenting a toddler means getting back on the horse.  It was, to say the least, a trying day.

Maeve woke a half-hour earlier than usual yesterday, and I could tell the teeth were a problem.  Most of our morning went by fairly smoothly, but then she started acting sleepy around her usual naptime, so I put her down.  Fifteen minutes later, squeaks and squeals.  She was not asleep.

So I got her up, we had some lunch, and played around some more, then she started crying over nothing and lying down on the ground.  I gave it another shot and put her down for her nap.  Not ten minutes later, talking and squeaks.  Nap attempt #2 was down the drain.

I gathered my strength and patience, got back on the horse, and took the child to the park.  I ran her up and down hills, all over the playground and the surrounding grassy areas, and generally tried to tire her out as much as possible.  At long last, when we got home, she took a nap.

Maeve got back on a horse of her own yesterday and tried spaghetti with marinara for the first time in months.  She has previously really hated the taste of tomatoes, but last night she ate a whole bowl and got sauce absolutely everywhere, as it is her toddler-duty to do.  

Today the child was up at 5, so I am doing my best to stay awake enough to stay on the horse today.

Maeve is back in the saddle again.