A New Post!

STOP!!!

Before you read any further, go to the blog post before this one for photos from the beach trip!

Now, you may continue to this post.

Adjustment time!

This week has been an adjustment getting back into the regular swing of things.  Supposedly, it takes three days after a vacation for a baby or young child to adjust back to the regular routine.  Well, Libby is fortunately sleeping great at night as always.  However, she doesn't seem to be napping as well.  I'm not sure whether that's because of the trip though or whether she's dropping a nap.  ...just when you get used to one "routine," it changes.  Mommy turned 29 this week, so I'm getting older and it's harder to accept change.

We have had a fun week together, though!  Libby is eating her "solid" foods like a champ, she smiles and laughs all the time and if not, it's because she's focused on the best way to get to Commissioner, gnaw on something or is standing up and trying to get around.  She is so much fun to play with now!  And she really doesn't require a ton of interaction all of the time (not that I don't interact... she just doesn't "require" it.)  ...just constant watching!  That doesn't leave much time for blogging.

We got to babysit one of our favorites, Ty, on Sunday, while his parents looked for a house because they are moving to Atlanta in the next month or so!  (We are SO excited!)  Okay, we didn't so much "babysit" as play, since Ty's wonderful grandparents came to see him too, and really took care of him for the short while that they were there.  But it was fun.  Libby has already started asking when they're going to be in Atlanta full-time.

We had visits from our friends Emily and Charlotte, Emily's mom, Amanda, and Amanda's mom on Tuesday!  Libby was quite taken with Charlotte and her ability to be little, but still able to run around. And then on Tuesday night, celebrated my birthday and Mandy's with the Arnold's out at Rosa's pizza with our babies in tow- they were so well-behaved as always. 

We relaxed on Wednesday, and on Thursday, ran an errand or two and my Aunt Toni took us out for my birthday lunch!  By Friday, I was pretty well spent, but partied it up (with only one drink) at a fundraiser on Friday evening. 

Also on Friday, I came across this article about girls reaching puberty at younger ages.  I know that this happens and it is not totally new, but it makes me sad - and frankly a bit more nervous - about the changing realities of the world that Libby will face as she gets older.

Perhaps it's just an assumption, but it seems that kids are growing up faster these days - not in terms of responsibilities or chores from their parents or around the house, since I think some adults worried about kids having "a childhood" as far as being allowed to get away with anything and play all day with no homework or activities is ridiculous considering how many of our grandparents and generations back worked on their family's plot of land or around the house from the day they could learn what to do, but in terms of innocence.  I was a sheltered child, no question. Some may have considered me a "goody-goody."  But I was still able to face the world and deal with reality at the appropriate times that I began needing to be able to handle it emotionally and I was able to understand the consequences of decisions.

Now I hear about schools teaching the basics of sex ed to children in first grade or kindergarten.  With more kids reaching puberty younger, television shows that are all about sex and sexual innuendo that air in the middle of the afternoon when kids are home from school, and parents who, for any number of reasons can't be with their kids all of the time or keep them busy with activities, or some parents who are just too lazy or self-involved to make their child turn off the tv and read, study or play outside, and with kids then I understand why some may feel the need for this action.  Young people are "sex-ting" nude photos of themselves to their friends.  I didn't have to deal with that world.  I had "bag phone" that only worked in the car when I went to college for emergencies only.  Did it have the capacity to send emails or text messages?  Hardly.  So sending images was never considered except in maybe a sci-fi book.  The worst I ever had to deal with in the world of "new media" and the internet as a stranger instant messaging me on AOL.  And then you could just ignore it.  I didn't have to deal with facebook or "cyberbullying."  Just middle school alone, dealing with people face-to-face, through notes slipped in class or talking on the phone was plenty of "fun," thank you.  Do I know all of the answers to these issues?  No.

But I do know that I will try to use common sense and do everything I can to "shelter" Libby for as long as I can.