REVIEW: Stokke Tripp Trapp Baby High Chair

My partner is a fan of Stokke's Tripp Trapp baby high-chair, to which he instantly fell in love with because of the design. I was in total agreement with him. The design is great, and the chairs are pratical, as your little one can join the family during meal-times right from birth. We chose to start ours at about 6-months, the average age when a baby gets stable and is able to sit-up by themself.

My only qualm is that, a baby that small doesn't know anything about security, therefore, an adult has to be around them whenever they are on the high-chairs. My baby us such an explorer and it's getting worse everyday as I have a feeling if we don't keep a watch, she might one day fall off the chair, as evidenced in the video. She is now 8-months old, I don't think at that age they have a notion on matters pertaining to security.

ESFP Portrait

As an ESFP, I'm always mis-understood, not that it bothers me. I love self-introspecting from time to time, just to check and confirm that I'm the same old me, and I find that apart from not allowing myself to take in some crap that I can easily avoid -a thing that I've been doing from the time I was conceived, I guess- then, I'm still the same old girl, the only difference's that I'm using an alter-ego.

I'm currently feeling like crap because of all this motherhood and 2-child policy that befell me, else, the rest, besides my piling up weight is perfect!

My girl was -what I'd consider as- bullied

Everytime I pick up my daughter from school, I have developed this habit of asking her how her day was, what they did, what she ate for lunch, whom played with, who was good at her, who was mean and so on. It has become a ritual, in that, nowadays, she'll be the first to indulge me even before I ask.

This past week, on Tuesday, she narrated how at the playground, one of her friends started teasing her on how she was dressed. The meanie ganged up the other kids who were laughing at my daughter, totally alienated her to the extent whereby they didn't want to play with her. So, she sat down on the bench and cried her heart out. I felt truly sorry for her and mad at the same time because I assumed she was strong enough to take anything anyone dares throw her way. That's when I realised that on this, she took her Papa's side -he cries when watching sad stuff, she cries too, whereas, I don't- wear my heart on the sleeves..

Anyways, I had -and still- do a long chat with her on bullying. I told her what her colleague did was not good and explained how she should react the next time she or any other person is confronted with such a situation. I also reminded her that nobody has got any right to decide how she was going to feel, she could wear a sack of potatoes if it pleases her without giving a damn about how another person was going to perceive her. My mum used to tell us that, we don't go to school to make friends, but to learn. I transmitted the same to my daughter. Of course, the BF is not in agreement with this view.

It is common practice to see kids as young as 3 years old go violent on the others. I've had to talk to her teacher on the matter severally, and finally decided that my daughter won't be turning the other cheek. As brutal as it may sound, I settled on, an eye for an eye, and since then, reports on violence towards her have drastically reduced.

The BF thinks that I'm exagerrating and that I should stop with my hawk-eyes tendency. He tells Peaches that I was traumatised as a kid and that's why I can't help being overtly protective; Funny as it may sound, I would rather it the way it was in my childhood. My dear Mama was the family investigator in her own level. She had her eyes and ears all over the country, depending on where her children were schooling. I can only copy her ways because that's what made us pan out successfully.

Besides, Peaches takes part in other activities besides her school ones, and I told her that's another way of socializing. 

As a parent, I took a silent oath to never sit back and watch any form of prejudice being thrown my children's ways, I am their guardian, their protector, I pledge my allegiance to them, if I don't veil on their well being, how will they develop trust in me as their mother, as their parent?

Of being overwhelmed and yelling

So now I'm back to yelling and not liking it! The bf says that it's good that I'm conscious of the vice, I say that being conscious is not enough as the damage is slowly creeping in. Peaches, as sweet as she is, is seriously taking the brunt of the damage the angelic demon a.k.a Berries is taking me through.

For instance, today, I gave Peaches 3 serious yells! The last yell made me go to the bathroom, look at myself in the mirror, and remind myself that it's totally NOT right!! I yell till my head hurts and only wine can cure it. That's the effect of being a STAHM with absolutely no help coming through. The first yell came through right after we got back home from school. I asked her to come and wash her hands before the evening snack, and she came dragging her chair, with a cushion and the fat Winnie Pooh on it. I yelled because I'm fed up of picking up after her. That was not even supposed to be a big deal since if I had asked her gently, (without yelling), she would have still taken them back. The second yell came during dinner, I had put Berries to sleep and came down to finish eating with her, as Paps was out of town, and there she was, still dilly-dallying with the food, trying to get out the garling eti coz she doesn't like it. The silly behaviour she picks up from other kids at the school canteen I felt terrible afterwards because I obliged her to eat up everything. I had to hurry back in the room because the baby was hysterical. So, I asked Peaches to finish up and head in her room and wait for me to come read her the usual bed-time stories. She instead headed straight to my room and woke up the baby anew, that, totally drove me into a frenzy!

I handle fatigue by going for a run, but now that I hurt the stupid knee, even walking is an issue. I think seeing the tummy bulging as if I was pregnant, and having none of my pants fit me is part of what drives me into a rage with every single petty - of what I consider - misdemeanor, on the part of Peaches, iven that I can't take it out on Berries.

I can't wait for January for Berries to start going to the creche, I'm headed there tomorrow first thing in the morning to ask when she can begin her orientation for full time care. I just can't handle it anymore! 

In the meantime, I have this noted somewhere at the back of my mind to control the yellings. Before, I could do Jumping Jacks everytime I felt the urge to yell. Now, I don't even know what to do. Counting from ten backwards doesn't even come close to help!

*sigh*

Failed friendship that never even picked!

I met this lady in September of this year, I'm even starting to doubt whether she didn't do it on purpose, that is, on the first day of extra-curricular activities, bringing her daughter in the same music class as mine, even though the class was strictly for beginners and her daughter was in her second year. Just before she left, she called me aside, gave me a sheet of paper with her address and phone number on it, because in her words, I look like a nice person and she would have loved if I joined her in her upcoming project(s). Since I didn't want to dissapoint, I gave her a call two weeks later and we met for tea. I extended the kindness and invited her over for teaat mines. She came in drinking some energy drink and instead asked for wine. That would have been the first warning sign, I chose to overlook it.

Last week she gave me a call inviting me over to her place because they were celebrating his son's in-law birthday. I made it clear that I was not in a position to go since I had guests over. She insisted I go even with my guests, I stressed that it was not going to be possible. She told me to think about it and drop her a message on my response. I completely forgot about her. It's not like I gave her the impression that I'm always short of invitations.

So last night as I went with my daughter and another neighbour's daughter trick or treating, I decided to stop at her's because she has children too. On coming to the door, the first thing I noticed was alcohol smell, she was clearly high, furious at me to the extent of not wanting to see me. I had to explain that I had a mishap with the fall I had during my run, and that I had explained it wasn't going to be possible to attend the improptu party etcetera.

She went on and on how dissapointed she was, how everyone was waiting for the mysterious overdue friend, how no matter what, next Saturday, Peaches should make it to her daughter's birthday, how I have to ensure that our daugthers become friends even if it takes moving the earth for it to happen. I was like, "are you kidding me? Our children are not at all obliged to be friends just because the parents are friends."

Her neighbour who was walking her daughter to trick and treat stopped to say hello, and as she was trying to explain to the little girl who was roughly 10 years old why according to her daughter she finds her weird, I bid her goodbye and we came back home.

I talked over the issue with the bf because I felt the matter needed his intervention. He was kind enough to tell me that the next time the lady accosts me, I should inform her that he is against her trying to impose herself in our family, period!

I've never had to apply pride in such a long time, but with this lady, I am left with no choice. I shall simply efface her like she's never existed as I await a new confrontation. I get tired thinking about her, I even had a terrible nightmare!