five things | from life lately with one marlo mclean

just marlo being marlo at a music festival in carrboro, nc.
photos taken by our sweet friend, katie. 

1. this morning, mo woke up a little earlier than i was comfortable with. i scooped her up out of her bed and brought her into bed with me for a quality cuddle sesh. but, instead, the second we hit the mattress we both rolled over to our respective sides to promptly fall back asleep. i'm not sure how many moments passed but all of a sudden i was startled awake by a heavier-than-expected arm being thrown around my neck and a toddlers' morning breath at my ear whispering to me, "i luh you, mama." and that, my friends, will go down as the best way to be awoken by your toddler quite possibly ever.

2. and thank god for moments like that because they balance out the past week that we spent in chapel hill. let's just say that the week proved two very important things: for starters, two is proving to be one hell of a ride. secondly, we have discovered that our child does not tolerate a change in routine very well. and by not very well i actually mean not at all. marlo established her status as a devoted creature of habit with great flourish and unimaginable toddler drama. a go-with-the-flow, laid back, easy going child she simply is not. 

3. potty training is happening soon. my mom- god bless her- somehow managed to potty train me in one day. ONE. DAY. she will readily admit to you that it ranks as one of the worst days of her life but it worked. so. i'm following her lead and reading this book and going to attempt this with modini in the next few weeks.  i imagine i'll maintain similar sentiments about the upcoming no good very bad day but if it works, i'll be no worse for wear. and hells-to-the-yeah about no more diapers. did you know that a child will use around 4,000 diapers before he or she is toilet-trained? that's just insanity. 

4. joe bought marlo her first unc basketball jersey while we were walking along franklin street one afternoon. (ps. she's in a 5t. she's 2.) and, like the well-mannered parents we pretend to be, instead of teaching mo to say thank you to people who compliment her on it- which, obviously, numbered many- we taught her to say go heels! while she pumps her fist in the air. in the tarheel state that's actually better than thank you. unless, of course, you prefer to wear that other shade of blue in which case joe has taught her another hand gesture to impart on unsuspecting innocents. 

5. marlo has always been an adventurous eater. over the past couple of weeks, we've seen the picky fickleness showcase itself through her eating habits. currently, she craves pickles, banana peppers, and pickled jalapeños. the only problem with this current idiosyncrasy is that she only wants to eat those three things and if i force her to eat... say... oatmeal... there better damn well be some pickled somethings to top off her oats. it's truly disgusting. but whatever. pick your battles is my current guiding motto of this particular parental-toddler phase.