a Confession, a Question, and a Craft (sort of)

Confession time - I haven't really been posting to my blog these last few days. I've been away from Internet access since first thing Monday morning.

But I prepared for this absence and arranged for a few little blog ditties to self-post while I was away.

Isn't that handy??

I really am here now, though. Blogging in real-time. But I did feel the need to 'fess up that I was only appearing to appear for a few days. ;)

The Question - We are having sleep issues again (still?) with toddler boy. I won't even go into the hassles of getting him to sleep the past week or so. It hasn't been all that bad, but today sure was rough. The hour preceding nap time pretty much wiped me out. You know the verse "pray without ceasing"? I was doing a lot of that just to keep myself from doing something I'd regret, like, oh .. I don't know... pulling my hair out maybe?

But my question for you all is not advice for getting Mr. You-Know-Who to go sleep. My question involves the other end:

Waking Up.

Whether he goes to sleep like a champ (and we have those days too, believe it or not) or fights it like mad, it doesn't matter: He wakes up crying.

I thought almost-two-year-olds were supposed to wake up happy.

Like most little girls, when I was little I would 'play house'. Of course, there was always a baby. And whether the part of the baby was played by a doll or by a willing playmate, the scenario always went like this:

- Feed the baby

- Put the baby to bed

- Go look busy doing wifely, house-ly things

- Baby wakes up "wah-wah-wah" -ing

Which was all fine and good. It was fun then. Now it's not so fun.

It was even ok when said real-life baby/kid was an infant. But a toddler waking up crying?

Doesn't exactly make you excited to hear from him at the end of nap time.

And not really a fun way to be greeted first thing in the morning.

Aren't toddlers supposed to wake up happy? Talking to themselves and playing in their crib? I would even be glad for "Maaaaaaa-maaaaaa" if it replaced all the crying. Suggestions?

And finally, the "Craft" (snicker, snicker)
As we were cleaning up supper tonight, Dale wanted to "make something out of yarn."

I felt spontaneous and indulging, so I agreed and asked him what he wanted to make. Without much thinking he said a dog.

And Google failed me.

I can almost always find anything I want on Google!

But in my quick search for first 'yarn dog' and then 'yarn dog craft' I found:

1 - did you know people make yarn from dog hair?

2 - a fancy-schmancy for-real craft that starts with a wire coat hanger and a ball of yarn and ends up as a cute dog

3 - a mop of a dog with foamy ears and feet.

Seeing as how #1 was irrelevant (no matter how interesting), we didn't have the time or inclination for #2, and I wasn't impressed with and didn't have the foamies needed for #3, I was left with no choice but to wing it.

Ohhhh boy. In short:
We wrapped a toilet paper tube with yarn, then slid the rolled-up yarn off the end and tied it around it's middle, length-ways. I grouped the bottom loops into four 'legs' and tied them off at the 'feet'.

Dale cut the loops on the top to make a mop of hair. I then made a pom-pom (Dale wanted it red) for the head and tied it on what I assumed to be the front. Googly eyes would help but I didn't have any of those.

Dale seemed to enjoy the final product enough:
I don't think you'll see me making any big debuts guest-posting on craft blogs any time soon or anything.

Alan enjoyed making a mess while we worked:
Don't be fooled by this mess into thinking he kept himself entertained for any length of time or anything. Noooo, that'd be too easy. ;)

He did help himself to his paper supply though (that made me happy) and spent some time coloring on that....and the floor. Oh well. The floor is resilient. ;) The rest of the time he alternated between whining to be in my lap and having a big ol' time grabbing for yarn and scissors.

If only I could get him to wake up having as much fun.....