Welcome to Samanthia

Samanthia is a world ruled by a precocious little Princess, Samantha.
It is the world that I and her Mother live in every day...and where we are mere subjects to her Rules and Laws.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Daddy's Bathroom Rant

This is something that has bothered me for quite some time...and, as hard as I am to offend, I was ( and am ) pretty offended by it.

When Sam was much younger, and we were out together ( either Lana, Sam and myself or just me and Sam ), there was frequent need for stops at the bathroom for some butt changing. No problem, part of the deal. I was amazed at two things:

1) The lack of changing stations in Men's bathrooms.
2) The fact that I had never noticed it before.

To take Sam in to a public bathroom as an infant and find that there is nowhere to change her comfortably was, at first, an inconvenience, but then started to draw my ire as time went on. When out with Mommy, I could at least have her take Sam in to the Women's Room where there is ALWAYS a changing station...but that brings with it a great deal of unfairness. Still, doable. When out with just Sam, I am forced to balance my little Princess on one knee while trying to clean her, stay clean myself and wrap things up in a timely manner...all while trying to keep us both off of the terrible public bathroom floors ( which I will get to later ).

To think that whoever designed a lot of these Men's Rooms thought that Dads didn't need them bothers me for a few reasons:

1) Did the designers think that Men didn't want to take care of their children's needs?
2) Did they think that those needs were always to be passed on to Mom?
3) Did they think us incapable?
4) Did they believe we just didn't care?
5) Did they forget that there are a lot of single Dads out there that might need the use of what is a staple of every Women's Room across America?

I am appalled that they feel like Dads couldn't possibly need the same basic amenities as the Moms do. We change butts, too!!!





Now, about the bathrooms...
( For the record, I am not worried so much about the germs...as the world is really one giant ball of filth. This is about the lack of common courtesy and how low a priority maintenance and upkeep seem to be on the individual stores' lists.  )


Let me start by saying, I have been in some nice ones...some I am envious of, actually:



The bathroom at Picazzos in Phoenix. Almost too nice to pee in.


However, a majority of them I would rate lower than a port-o-potty or an outhouse. Seriously. I admit, I never really cared before Sam...probably because I stand up to go and never really needed a stall, but now I am almost willing to take her all the way home to use the potty rather than have her deal with the mess of what should be kept up on regularly. Some public restrooms end up like this after an hour of going unchecked:

YUM!


The other day at Target, I needed to bring Sam in to the bathroom and had to wait for the only stall, which was a handicapped stall. A guy in a wheelchair was occupying it...and he had a helper with him. They left the bathroom stall such a mess I was close to tipping his chair when I saw him a few minutes later. Toilet paper everywhere, feces left on the toilet, piss on the floor and seat. Being in a chair does NOT, in any way, preclude you from basic decency...especially when you have a helper! If you are that incapable of going to the bathroom, go in a bag so my Daughter can use the toilet in a sanitary area without a clean up crew coming in first.


While I am talking about bathrooms, I will leave you with an image of my ideal toilet:

Yeah, I could die here...

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Daddy's "Eyes"

I woke up this morning to Sam quietly play with a new ball she got for her Birthday from a friend...slowly approaching me, it would seem, to attack at the right moment. She didn't get the chance, but as soon as she realized I was awake, she started to frantically search the surrounding area and got a bit upset. She needed Daddy to have his glasses before he could be deemed officially awake...and she wouldn't stop until she found them. She did find them ( like she always does )...and all was better. My day was allowed to start.

Thank you, Sammy, for finding my "eyes".

Sleeping...anywhere

Ever since Sam has been able to sleep anywhere other than right between myself and Lana, she has made it a habit of sleeping anywhere she falls out. Here are a few examples:







YES, I let her sleep there...


Let her sleep that way until she pee'd...but had to get a pic first!

I am trying to hunt down a missing pic...maybe the BEST pic, but will add it later. I didn't want it's absence to stop this post from being finished. 


Sunday, July 25, 2010

Validation

The other day, when dropping Sam off at school, one of her classmates ( a little girl named Flannery ) pointed me out to her Mother and proclaimed "that's Sammy's Daddy".

I smiled for the rest of the day. Thanks, Flannery!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Almost 2 and Amazing

With Sam's 2nd Birthday approaching ( July 21st ), I find myself sitting and wondering where the time went...and how did she become the wonderful little girl she is so fast? Every day she amazes me with stuff she has been doing for quite some time...and a new trick or two thrown in for good measure.

Tonight, for example. Lana was about to vacuum her room, and as soon as Sam saw the vacuum, she immediately started picking things up off of the floor. No provocation, no prodding...and no mention of the vacuum at all. Just instinctively began making way for what was about to be done. Toys up, pillows up and Sammy up on the couch. Amazing to me. I know grown folk that don't have that in them...and my about-to-be-two-year-old just has it in her nature. I love it...let's hope it sticks.

Her potty training is all but completely done. other than some accidents due to being too busy to notcie having to "go", it is all there. She knows to go, what to do when she is done and even waves "bye-bye" to the potties when they go "down the hole". Even when an accident does happen, she takes off her pants and underpants and puts them right in her hamper - sometimes with provocation, but generally on her own. Her Mother's early start on that ( which was very early ) is something she ( Lana ) has caught some grief for lately and I hate that she has had to be made to feel like she is forcing Sam to do something she might not be ready for. Sammy loves the praise and the "big girl" feeling of climbing up on the toilet and doing her thing...and I couldn't be more proud of her. Besides, does this look like a girl being forced to potty?:

I didn't think so.


Her manners never cease to amaze me, either. One of us sneezes, "bless you, Momma" and "bless you, Daddy" come naturally. She accidentally jumps too hard on us or swings something in our direction and gets an "ow" out of us and "sorry, Daddy", "sorry, Momma" is the immediate response ( generally right before jumping again ). She asks for a drink and first comes "peese" followed by a "thank you, Momma". Her Great Grandmother would be so proud. My Grandmother taught me that above all else: manners mean everything. Sam has the most refreshing understanding of that - without them being beaten in to her head. Again, I know grown folk that haven't said "please" or "thank you" since their Mothers forced them to.

She gladly helps with setting the table, handing out our seating assignments and doing the dishes. To the point of being upset if she can't. She has even been enlisted to help prepare ( at her insistence ):

It beats making sneakers for Nike.


The fact that she only used a sippy cup for 2 days is beyond me. We started with shot glasses ( you heard what I said ) and she was on to regular "Mommy/Daddy" glasses in no time. She now goes between regular sized glasses and miniature glasses of the same type....but I think we still have those just because they're cute to watch her drink from.

Letting the dog in and out has been her "job" for as long as I can remember. Her clapping her hands together and beckoning with a "come here dodie ( doggie )" to get Jezebel inside tickles me every time I see it. Her attention to the dog, what she needs and where she is, is something I hope she keeps with her when it is time to have her own ( and her own kids as well ).

As much as I could go on about how quickly she has taken to things and how her development is astounding me...I will just end here with a thought: With her about to be 2...and knowing what "they" say about that age...I can't imagine it being all that terrible at all. Bring it on, I can't wait to meet Sammy every day.

Also good to know, that with all of her manners, knowledge and abilities in her about-to-be 2 years...she is still prone to this:


The new "Unknown Comic"

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Momma's Rant

This is from Lana and 100% true - both in my belief and in the fact that she practices all of the following. I don't even need to add my 2 cents...as it speaks for itself:

I'm fed up with lazy parents that think they don't have to teach their kids anything because they'll just figure it out on their own, eventually. I'm sorry, but my daughter will have manners: she will not throw her food or draw on walls. She will practice personal hygeine: including toileting and washing her hands and I won't wait around for someone else to teach her these things for me as I'm one of her parents and it is MY JOB. 

I'm not going to use some philosophy to hide behind, claiming I'm doing the best for my kids by letting them do what they feel like, when they feel like it. In the meantime, I'm also not going to crush her willpower in the actions I take to facilitate her learning and growing. I respect my daughter. I give her choices when and where appropriate, but generally, I work hard to maintain her environment in such a way that anything she could want to do would be acceptable. I observe my daughter and I do my best to provide her with the mental and physical challenges appropriate to her stage of development.

But predominantly, I teach by setting a good example each and every day. I help her to the best of my abilities when she shows interest in following suit. I have confidence in my daughter. I know that she will do everything and anything in her power to learn and grow and I will do anything and everything in my power to help her when she needs me to.

Okay, I will add my 2 cents: Amen, Momma!