Just a quick post regarding the one year anniversary of my first posts for Poppa Penguin. Yesterday was the anniversary actually and it feels good I’m keeping up with the blog. I’ve done 36 posts which at an average of 3 a month I could be writing more. When I first envisioned this blog I thought I’d be writing more. I also thought I’d be complaining more and entertaining more. I suppose this could be my New Year’s resolution. I have a thing with just writing a post for writing’s sake though and that’s another reason I’m not posting that much. I’m not going to post on the site every time Maddie does something new or funny. That could be so boring. If I have a bad day as a SAHD and probably should be writing as a form of catharsis, in truth I just want to unwind and sound saner than I could. I edit myself too much I guess. I don’t know how many of you are reading my blog and I’m hoping you enjoy it most of the time. I wish I was more informative to other parents but in reality I’m like you, learning as I go along. Not everything I learn or do is novel or ground-breaking. In all honesty we’re usually late in our good discovery’s. Hopefully I’ll learn to not edit myself so much but I just don’t want this site to be so diary-like with every post being so “me-me-me.” I’m trying to make this as universal as possible and the first thing I say when I think of a subject or post to write about is: Would someone else find this interesting? So maybe 2012 I’ll hopefully not care so much for that question and write my heart out.

It also seems, fatherhood and stay-at-homehood wasn’t as rough and tough as I thought starting 2011 with a 1-and-a-half year old would be. The terrible-twos, I’d have to say, could’ve been worse. Now I know what most of you are thinking and that’s “wait until she turns three.” And all I can say is I hope I’m close to saying the same thing this time next year. Although who knows what surprises are in store 😉 WHO KNOWS!!!!

I almost forgot to tell you that we successfully converted the crib to a toddler bed and Maddie loves it! She gets in and out with such joy and loves her Yo Gabba Gabba sheet set. Our two biggest fears with converting was if A. she’d take to the change from crib to bed and B. staying in the bed now that she has access to exiting the bed now. Well so far she loves her bed and stays in the bed until we enter the room to get her as if she was still in the crib. Strange but I guess that’s what she’s used to. It’s so much nicer to be able to kiss her goodnight (which we couldn’t do easily with the crib rails) and the last few nights read bedtime books to her while she’s cozy in the bed. And even though this is an indication of her growing up, I’m happier with the new arrangement and wasn’t that sad to see the crib go away.

Maddie is a very very good egg and I hope she stays that way. She sometimes acts irrational and whiny but when she does she punishes herself with her own time-outs. Which sounds very odd but when we attempt to correct her or try to explain to her how she should react to something she takes that as disciplining and walks to her room for a time-out. We try to stop her, because we didn’t want her to take a time-out, but she does it anyway and is much happier and calmer for doing so. My readers probably think this must be the most strict household and I must not be 100% honest to how I actually disciplining her but I have not held back anything. I sometimes yell at her. I sometimes scream when I’m at my most frustrated but that’s about it. She is just understanding, maybe too well, good vs. bad behavior and discipline.

Happy New Year to my readers, my awesome wife and adorable daughter, as well as my family. Hope 2012 brings much happiness and laughs.