Guest Post: The Art of Entertaining a Toddler: Doctor's Appointment/Tag Team Edition

Need a spot to get re-energized? Or how about a place to meet other busy moms like yourself? Meet Kishea from Bizzy Mommie, she's created that spot! Join her as she takes us on her journey of  maneuvering through parenthood, all the while creating a community for others doing the same thing. 

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Over the past 18 months I have learned a thing or two about taking my daughter to doctor's appointments. She does really well at hers, but she acts like crazy person at mine. Why is that? Hmmm..... It may be because she doesn't like to see anyone "working" on me. She even cried when I got my eyebrows waxed a week ago. How funny is that? I would've videotaped it, but I didn't have a free hand. It was hilarious. 

Don't get me started about my teeth cleaning appointment about six months ago. She was a lot smaller then, and not as strong so I could hold her in my lap and hold her hands while the dentist cleaned my teeth. She cried and cried, but I had to get this done. My husband and I live 4-5 hours away from our parents and we don't have babysitters, so I have to take her with me to every appointment since my husband works long hours. And hey, she's my responsibility anyways.

Well, fast forward to present day when I had to go to a doctor's appointment today. Thank God my doctor had a play area in the waiting room. She was greatly entertained by this. I would also like to thank God that my husband was able to come with me, because he helped in keeping her occupied as well. The waiting room was a breeze, but when the nurse called my name, my child actually let a scream loose when I picked her up. What?! (Confession: I used to always look at people with screaming children like they were crazy until I had one little feisty one myself. Now I know that you have to do what you have to do. Life has to go on, screaming children or not). 

My husband was a tremendous help. He let Bri run around him countless times, he held her arms while she dangled inches from the floor, he blew raspberries on her cheeks, etc. I sat her on my lap and dropped her upside down (she loves doing this). I repeated this over and over until she got tired of it. When we got into the room, we let her walk around and touch cabinets (as long as she wasn't being too rough... Don't want to get kicked out, LOL!) and slide down walls onto the floor (Man do kids have a lot of energy!). I thought about bringing toys but she wouldn't have played with them. She would have been too intrigued by her new surroundings to fumble with familiar toys. 

Now for the big test! The doctor came in to examine me and my daughter did GREAT. I was so happy and relieved. If my husband had not come to tag team with me, she would have been crying when the doctor came in. Whew! Yay! Hooray! (Hey, don't judge me for being excited about a well-behaved toddler, LOL!). We made it and I can boldly say that we have a wonderful visit. I have another appointment next week and I will start preparing right now for it, ha ha.

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Thanks to Tiffany for allowing me to guest post on her amazing blog today. Her content is entertaining and well organized, and it's an honor to post for her. I have a blog as well, Bizzy Mommie. I write about everyday issues that I face as a busy mother. I would love to have you come and check me out as well. I'm always looking for other mothers to share their stories and advice. I look forward to seeing you there. Have a blessed week! P.S. Roll Tide and Go Steelers!

Guest Post: Eli from Coach Daddy passes the sports torch

Super excited to have Eli from Coach Daddy guest post for me, sharing some of his coaching and fatherhood insight with us.

Eli and his girls, Elise particularly, shows us that it's not just a man's world when it comes to sports!





What do these things have in common?

1. The players and philosophies of my fantasy football team
2. The statistical and analytical breakdown of my latest U-11 soccer match
3. What Howard Stern is up to

Answer: No one gives a rat’s caboose outside of the fantasy team owner, coaches and parents, or Howard Stern himself, for Kate Upton's sake. And they certainly don’t want to hear about them.
This post is about fantasy football – but I will not tell you more than you’ll absolutely need to know to understand the story. I promise. I won’t even tell you that Calvin Johnson is my best player, or that I picked up Terrelle Pryor and Philip Rivers to hopefully force a trade for a running back.

Oops. See? It’s hard not to do.

Thing is, I know that moms make up 92.3 percent of my readers. You’ll tell your husbands to read me if I write of something profound, like why dads come in second to moms. I hope you’ll share this one, too. We dads must know of these rites of passage.

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On October 10th two seasons ago, as the hour approached midnight, my 13-year-old daughter beat me... in fantasy football.

My unbeaten team, mind you. The Sun City Skunk Kings fell to the Zacateca Z-donks 111-85. Yes, those were our teams’ names. Like father, like daughter.

Fathers with sons can point to the day their boy first beat them in a foot race. Or game of one-on-one. Or knocked them out cold with a punch.

However, fathers with daughters cannot point to these days. Not that Elise might not clean my clock one day. She’s nearly as tall as me. Not that it’s saying much.

Don’t discount this, moms. It’s like, when your daughter starts wearing your clothes, and using your makeup, and fixing her hair, just like you. Only, this is worse.

Consider this our moment. She’s learned from me. She’s the girl in school who can correct the boys when they talk about the Steelers and Ravens playing in a Super Bowl. Who can argue for Aaron Rogers against Michael Vick, or understand the fallacy of sticking with that stinkin’ Packers defense for another painful week.

On this night, the cub devoured the lion.

It’s like when Eli and Peyton Manning won the Super Bowls that their father, Archie, couldn’t even reach. Ken Griffey Jr. hitting more home runs than Ken Griffey Sr. That commercial in which racecar driver Michael Andretti details the first time he passed his legend of a dad, Mario, in a race (punctuated by the declaration, “adios, dada!”)

OK, moms, maybe it’s more than a daughter sharing your shoe collection. Maybe it’s your little girl rocking your favorite sundress better than you do. Staying a size 4 when she eats like a linebacker.
Or getting more looks in the mall than mom does. Or did, at her age.

With me now, moms? Pass the tissues. The mighty Skunk Kings have fallen.

Atta girl, Elise. Atta girl.

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When he's not trying to get the truth out of three rambunctious daughters or wrestling unruly livestock, Eli coaches and fathers those wild children, and writes about it on his blog, Coach Daddy.