I'm Mother of the Year

I am exhausted today. Why, you ask?

Because nearly HOURLY last night, there was just HYSTERICAL crying coming over the baby monitor. It wasn’t the kind of cry you can just ignore. But somehow, every time I got downstairs to L’s room to calm her down, she had calmed herself and was sleeping soundly. But like clockwork, an hour or so later the crying would be back and I’d go back down, and she’d be calm by the time I got there. I barely slept.

I got her up this morning and she wanted to sit on the potty. While we’re in the bathroom sitting about two inches apart, we hear hysterical baby crying over the monitor again! L and I just looked at each other fully wide eyed and she finally spoke up “Momma! That’s a BABY!” Uh yeah…it is. What’s it doing IN YOUR ROOM!?

Then we hear people talking in whispers. I’m seriously creeped out and trying to think of the best plan of action to get me and the naked two year old out of that bathroom without being detected. I was about to call the police but I realized: our baby monitor is picking up the neighbor’s newborn baby! We must have the same monitor!

So I am exhausted today not from taking care of my kids all night but because I was up attempting to care for the neighbor’s baby all night.

I’m THAT dedicated to the institution of motherhood.

On the FIFTH Day of our Christmas

On the FIFTH day of our Christmas the gift we gave our kids was: all our love. Sorry we're late, but a blog post was suddenly not so important last night.

Yesterday morning, I got a 6 year old ready for school. We talked about the spelling test he'd been studying for all week and how well I knew he'd do. We talked about which morning snack he wanted to bring, to make sure his morning was great. His lunch was packed with a wonderful compromise of the healthy foods I wanted and the favorite foods he wanted. It was "Santa's Workshop" day too - the kids would all make crafty presents for their family members. He was excited and looking forward to the day. We put on his winter coat and boots, made sure his backpack was ready for his day, and hopped in the car. I dropped him off to his before-school ride and told him "I love you, have a good day. I know you can do it" and I went to work without really giving our morning another thought.

I'm sure in a small Connecticut town a mom like me, with a boy like B, went through the same motions.

I'm sure neither of us thought to address what to do in case a crazed gunman entered the school. We didn't remind the kids of safety measures or talk with them about escape routes from their classrooms.  Why would we? They're little kids. They're six years old.

But at the end of the day, I got to hold my baby in my arms again - along with his little sister. I was glad I had told him I loved him and glad he had been safe.

The other mother was not so lucky.

This hits home. Random shootings are a tragedy no matter what. They are always senseless and never fair. Regardless of circumstances or victims I am always left shaking my head and wondering what could make one person hate so many, many they never knew, so deeply they could kill. But this wasn't that random. An angry adult for reasons unknown chose to target innocent children as they went about their day of learning at their school with their friends.

I can't tell you how many tears I have shed since this news came. I've cried out of the deepest and sincerest form of empathy and sympathy I can muster for the parents, siblings, friends, teachers, and town of Newtown. Sandy Hook Elementary was never on my radar before but now it's at the forefront of my mind and heart. Seeing the children crying and streaming from the school while visibly shaken parents run by searching for their child makes me want to head to the town, start knocking on doors, and personally just hug everyone. Door to door. I wish there was something I could do to truly make this better. Something I could say.  But I know there is not.

The best I can do is offer this bit of promise to those parents: your children will never be forgotten. They will in all of our hearts, especially mine forever. In their short time with us, your children have reminded us all how important life is and how we must value every second. They opened our eyes to what mattered, how to love more fully, and to never take a moment for granted. Because of your children, our world got smaller, the love got bigger, the prayers stronger. People's lives have forever been moved and transformed for the better, even through this evil tragedy.

In honor of the mothers of Newton, I will hug my children extra each night, kiss them one more time, tell them how much I love them, and thank God for them more than before. My tears are not only from pure sadness but from a sense of gratitude for the awakening your children have given this world.

Please pray for Newtown. Pray for the new angel Heaven received yesterday and thank God for wrapping them up in his arms. While there are still many questions here on Earth and countless broken hearts, He will help us all through this and give these families the strength they need to carry on. Your children are our angels now and angels are never forgotten.

On the FOURTH Day or our Christmas

On the FOURTH day of our Christmas the gift we gave our kids was: letting them wrap their presents for us and put them under the tree!

The wrap jobs are certainly not from the mall professionals. B may have hurt himself on the tape dispenser (it's just a little scratch!) and if you touch any of these gifts the paper will probably rip and show what is inside.

But the pride and joy on B's face as he wrapped these gifts, chose the tags, and filled them out in his shaky six year old penmanship is something that will never be forgotten. He and L picked out gifts for their parents and put them under the tree as a great surprise.
On the fourth day we gave them pride in giving. An excellent gift!

The THIRD Day of our Christmas

On the THIRD day of our Christmas the gift we gave our kids was: Rest.

The boy has the flu. The girl hand,foot,mouth disease (love our daycare, could do without that).
So on the third day of our Christmas I gave them the gift of one of my precious vacation days.  That's big. If I could find a way to unveil that in a manner similar to those Lexus Christmas ads with the giant red bows on them, I would. Its up there. No joke.
I also gave them: a bland diet for the boy, some lotion for the girl, and early bedtimes for both!
Dad can give them the gift of his vacations days tomorrow. :)

The Second Day of our Christmas...

On the SECOND day of our Christmas, the gift we gave our kids were: HOMEMADE STOCKINGS!

Okay, I didn't bust these out in a day. Not at all. But I found a GREAT pattern on Pinterest back in September, planned ahead and then learned how to embroider - then I got to work!
First, hats off to a GREAT pattern here at the Fabricworm Blog, it was great for a beginner like me.
I hit up Joann's and everyone picked out their favorite fabric and name color to give them a personal touch but I love that they are simple, clearly homemade (but not tacky!), and still let us all have our own style about them.
The kids are in awe of them and I have to admit, the new stockings actually got mention in my son's letter to Santa.

I'm kind of a big deal around here.

The FIRST Day of our Christmas

The twelve days of OUR Christmas start today :) My son will be traveling to see his father for Christmas Day so I made a call to Santa and asked him to stop by a few days early. Luckily for my kids, I was always a great client of Santa's back in the day and he was beyond willing to oblige with a trip to our house on the night of December 21.

On the FIRST day of our Christmas, the gift I gave we gave our kids was: COOKIE MAKING MEMORIES!

 

Christmas cookie making is a long standing tradition in our family. I remember being a small 5 year old girl standing on a dining room chair in the kitchen of my grandmother as she expertly made dough and rolled it out to the perfect thickness. She had what felt like a hundred cookie cutters waiting for us, all destined for greatness one adorned with colored icing, sprinkles, red hot candies, and little silver balls.

The kitchen was full of bags of flour, sugar, and mixing bowls all put to good use. The stove was crowded with pots and pans full of candies and chocolate mixtures in the making. It smelled amazing and looked like the single most important duty for the holidays to the eyes of an enchanted five year old. My grandma was the most amazing baker I had seen. I'm pretty sure she had most of those recipes memorized, a fact that hurts now that I do not have copies of them all to pass on. She knew what to do, how to fix "mistakes", and exactly when to take cookies out of the oven at the moment they reach perfection. More than 25 years later, I am still working on that skill. Maybe it's something only a grandmother can do.

I am not a grandmother, although I feel that old some days! I am a mother longing to create memories with my children and family that will live on fondly in their hearts even once I am gone. Just like my warm memories of Grandma Cocoa's baking days.

My son is not interested in the baking aspect and my daughter a little young still (but I have hope for her!) so the rolling, cutting, and baking of the cookies fell on my shoulders. Turning on the Christmas music and starting at my task I was taken back to that brown and blue kitchen I loved back in 1985. I do not have the hundreds of cookie cutters Grandma Cocoa did but I have a few and my kids chose two that they'd like to decorate; gingerbread men and Christmas trees, two of my favorites.

I like to think they both inherited her amazing cookie skills and made some memories of hanging out with their parents around the holidays. Their parents definitely cherished the time.

The Elf on the Shelf

I have seen the many insane Elf on the Shelf tricks posted on Pinterest and blogs galore this time of year. I have also see the posts declaring the “overachieving moms” crazy for the lengths they go through to keep their children enchanted this time of the year.

I’ve also see the real news and decided there are bigger things I could be debating and choose to remain out of this one.

We do, however participate in the Elf on the Shelf tradition. Every year Kiki the Elf appears and moves about the house. We have never forgotten to move him, but hanging upside down is about as creative as we get. It’s ok though, our son (who is almost 7) loves this guy and truly believes he is a direct link to Santa. If nothing else, we get about a month of good behavior.

We had no idea what we were in for as we busted Kiki out this year, with an almost 2 year old on our hands.

While I’ve heard people say they feel the elf is creepy, I never got it. Until I had a little girl sobbing on the floor pointing at a curious elf peeking at her from the fireplace mantle. That should have been my first clue we were in trouble.

As he moved on top of the living room valence, she avoided that part of the room.

When he sat in the dining room window, she ate in the living room.

However, when she spotted him hanging upside down out of a can light in the living room ceiling it proved to be more than she could handle and her real fear was revealed.

 (please note: she doesn’t speak this clearly, but as I am fluent in what she speaks I’ll translate for you dear reader)

“Momma! Help him down!”

“L, he’s fine. He’s just an elf reporting back to Santa”
“He’s gonna fall”
“Nah, he’s holding on tight and he’s got some magic dust up there – he’s fine.”
“Momma pleeeeeease!”
“L, no. He is fine.”
“Momma…JESUS IS STUCK! STUCK! HELP JESUS DOWN!!!”

Aha! She’s not grasping this is an elf, she’s convinced that Jesus has appeared in her home and is putting himself in perilous situations. Apparently, all that money I’m shelling out to the expensive but WONDERFUL church-based daycare is worth it – she’s got the meaning of Christmas down! But, if this is going to continue much longer, I may need to think of a way for the elf to let her brother know he’s on the good list and cut out early.

The Cell Phone Mafia

I will never be the person with the latest and greatest cell phone. The first reason for this is that I am not a person with a large paycheck. I’d rather have groceries than a new phone. The second reason for this is the mere fact that I get confused by cell phones easily.

I have, however, determined one thing about cell phones that I’m moderately proud of and sure no one else has realized before.

Cell phone companies have low-jack on our phones. This low-jack is set to screw up the phone two or three weeks after the phone becomes eligible for a “free” upgrade.

With a two-year contract extension that is.

It never fails that once a year, I get notified I can have a new phone. I’ve told the man at the phone store – I’m not interested. I JUST figured out how to lock the screen on the phone I got LAST year so I no longer hang up on people during phone calls. I still cannot change my ringtone. And when I’m done with some apps I have to turn the phone off and on again. Clearly, I’m not done figuring this one out. No thanks on the upgrade.

But it’s not that easy! The powers that be at the phone company give me that two or three week grace period then BAM! They push the button that makes the screen stop responding as well, the calls to drop, and the voicemail icon to stay on 24/7 even when there is no message. Amazingly, the calls, texts, and emails telling me to sign up for 2 more years and get a free phone never seem to have a problem. I have not even figured out what I’m doing with this one and they want me to get a bigger, better, harder one to navigate?

Coincidence? I think not.

Realistically, I’m at about 2006 on the cell phone technology spectrum. I’m standing strong, sorry to say it cell phone man, but I predict that this thing will probably self-destruct Inspector Gadget style by the time Spring Break rolls around. Well played cell phone makers, well played.

We are Never Ever Ever Going Grocery Shopping!

This weekend, we had a trip to the grocery store for the record books with our 20 month old daughter. Since then, I've had a little tune in my head and feel the urge to share it with every overworked, overtired, parent just trying to get through the day with a very strong willed child in tow!

If you live under a rock and are not familiar with the orginal song, you can find the lyrics that inspired this here: http://bit.ly/SfNWDW

We are Never Ever Ever Going Grocery Shopping...together.

(adapted from Taylor Swift's "We are Never Ever Getting Back Together")

I remember when you freaked out - the first time.

Saying this is what I want, I want it now, gimme.
We hadn't been inside the store 5 minutes
When you said you needed a toy - what?

Then you come around again and say -
Momma, I'm sorry and I swear I will behave.
Trust me, remember how that lasted for an aisle?
I say - we don't need it, we argue, you cry, I love you.
 
Oooh we need something for dinner tonight
But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
You go talk to the baker
Talk to the deli-guy
Talk to me
But we are never ever ever going grocery shopping together

Like ever...

I'm really gonna miss your whining fits
And me, falling for them screaming them I'm right
And you, will hide away behind a Cheez-it display,
eyeing some mom that's much cooler than I.

Oooh we need something for dinner tonight

But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
You go talk to the manager
Talk to that angry guy
Talk to me
But we are never ever ever going grocery shopping

I used to think, that we were so much better than that

And I used to say, my kid would never....

[spoken] 

Hun, she's scaring old ladies over a pack of oeros

and she's like "Momma, you're pretty - please?"
And I'm like, I'm just, I mean this is exhausting, you know?
We are ever ever going grocery shopping together, like ever.

We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together

We are never ever ever going grocery shopping together
You go talk to your father
Talk to him...
Oh yeah, I called him
Because we are never ever ever going grocery shopping

-------

Sing it loud and proud mommas! I know I'm not the only one ;)

 

We may have been robbed, but I don't care

Right now, my house is a mess. It's possible we were robbed but I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between an actual ransacking of the place or the simple trail of happiness my kids have left behind. I should not be sitting on my couch, under my favorite blanket, watching a crime show that will probably freak me out the rest of the day, while listening to my neighbor mow the lawn.

My kitchen is a mess.

The bathroom needs to be cleaned.

Laundry needs to be folded.

The floors could use some serious attention.

I should shower, do my hair, and my nails. I'm heading out for my husband's birthday dinner tonight. We have a sitter all lined up (thanks grandma and grandpa!) so I'll be getting a hot meal without any crayons located anywhere on, or under, the table.
But I declared that today, Momma was taking a break. A glorious 2-2 1/2 hour break during naptime. I have a sweet embroidery project I've been wanting to dig into (my eyes needed a break after 45 minutes!). I have a list of possible books to read that I wanted to look into further. New recipes I wanted to find. I missed my blanket, my creepy shows, and the mere silence of being alone with my thoughts. For the duration of one nap, I'm doing precisely what I want to.
The dishes will still be there.
The tub can be scrubbed in the morning.
Another spin in the dryer never hurt laundry.

The floors shall be swept tomorrow.

The ransacked look around us is what I'm calling "Memory Chic". My kids play hard, laugh hard, and love hard. This house and the mother sitting in it are both wearing the evidence of this proudly. So today, instead of trying to "fix" what they've created, I'm "fixing" myself and feeding my soul to great a sweet little fresh-from-nap sleepy eyed girl with the same level of happy, devoted, love that greets me every day.

Be selfish moms. Kick back, relax, and recharge. Your kids will remember the giggles, hugs, and snuggles  much more than they'll ever recall your preparations for a Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot that will probably never happen.

Housework is temporary, childhood memories are forever.

First grade check in

First grade is going MUCH better than kindergarten. Must be because B is just so smart and advanced ;)

Today, the teacher put on some music while the kids were doing their work. And the teacher reported to us that:

"B does a great B.B. King impression!" and urged him to bust it out.

He finally did at dinner, and he does an AMAZING B.B. King impression.

I'm not sure what it had to do with math class, but I love this teacher already.

"Melmo Geen!" trauma on Sesame Street

Parenting 101 factoid: Consistency is important for kids.

I’m not just talking about the daily routines or similar caregivers – this apparently goes much deeper than I ever realized or experienced with my oldest child.

I was laid up on Monday with a case of the Mondays paired with a massive allergy attack, it was far from a pretty day at our house. My oldest is visiting his dad this week and the youngest headed off to daycare so I could attempt to rest (she’s teething and I feel like I have newborn again at night on top of all this).

When she arrived home, she wanted to read some books. Normally I love it, but Monday all I wanted to do was continue laying on the couch with my eyes closed. Everyone sit down for a minute and get your judging hats on: so I offered to the 18 month old that she could pick out a movie to watch instead.

This is rare. She’s actually never watched a movie before. She knows where they are and she’s seen her big brother pop one on as she’s heading down to bed in the evenings before but its never been her chance before. She ran like a crazed lady down the hall and picked out a Sesame Street DVD she’d been eyeballing titled “Being Green”.

Let me fill you in on the premise in case you’re not familiar with this blockbuster film. Elmo and Abby are hosting a telethon with the usual cast of characters manning the phone bank. They’re raising money and awareness for “Being Green” and taking care of the earth by reusing, reducing, and recycling. Now you’re up to speed.

I was impressed when she sat with me on the couch and was paying attention. She pointed out all her favorites “Melmo!” (Elmo), “Abby!”, “Coo-ee!” (Cookie Monster), “Eh-nee!” (Ernie) and was really enjoying her big girl movie time. That is, until Elmo asked Abby to cast a spell to allow him to be Green and take care of the Earth all the time.

If you’ve seen Sesame Street you know two things. First, Abby is not very good with a wand. Second, her parents should demand a tuition refund from that Fairy School – it’s not helping. Needless to say, the furry red monster was suddenly completely green from head to toe. My daughter took one look at me, her face filled with concern, and clasped her hands at her chest as she watched Elmo running across the screen yelling “ELMO IS GREEN!!!” in a panicked fashion.

She screamed at the top of her lungs “Melmo geeeen!” and looked near tears. She hopped off the couch and ran to my husband – screaming and panicking that Melmo was geen. We started to console her and tried to “explain” he was ok and he’d be all better in just a few minutes – but before we could fully console her Cookie Monster snapped, and ate his phone at the phone bank since no one was answering his requests for cookies.

This lead to a tearful child begging him to stop “No Cooo-eee…No!!”. Again, hands clasped at her chest and a concerned look on her face.

At this point, I shut the movie off. I don’t need years of therapy bills for her down the road thanks to “Being Green”. She was concerned for Melmo and Cooo-eee as I put it away and walked her back into the movies and told her to find something else. She chose “Elmo in Grouchland”, and when Elmo and Cookie Monster appeared in normal fashion, she smiled broadly and seemed relieved as she informed us “Melmo better.”

My recommendation to parents? In addition to a consistent daily routine, keep their Muppets the right color. You’ll thank me later.

We opened a bakery

We did it. We decided to start our own little bakery with the goal of making safe goodies for food allergy sufferers to enjoy.

The main goal would be to get our goodies into classroom and birthdays throughout the land to let every kid feel completely normal and part of the group. No more "special" plates for kids. They'll get the same piece of cake or cupcake or cookie that everyone else does. This might not seen like a lot to most people, but to a kid (and the parents of these kids) its monumental.

The Bon Bakery came to be from the delightful way Ben said his name when he was little. "I'm Bon" was always followed by the most infectious, beaming, friendly little smile this world has ever seen. No one on the outside could tell that at a moment's notice, that smile could disappear behind a swollen face and hives thanks to food. Nor could they see the anxiety that any of those reactions could make that smile disappear forever. This bakery is "Bon's" Bakery.

Its driven by his Momma and step-dad who have an insane love of cookies, both our kids, and baking treats. Combining these three loves has driven this passion to a new personal level. We want to help kids like Bon experience things. Hopefully, people who are nervous to cook for an allergy kid will reach out to us. It IS daunting and scary if you're not used to it. After five years of navigating this food allergy jungle - we're veterans, but always looking for new ways to spread our goodies and the message behind them.

We've had a little boy sit alone with a different treat because a classroom treat that was brought in wasn't safe. It hurts. We've had a little boy who has been teased for his different "safe treat" during class parties. It infuriates. And we've had a little boy smile so big and squeeze us so tight when we've been able to recreate something he thought he couldn't have. Its inspiring.

Please visit our Etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBonBakery or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheBonBakery. Help us spread the word and educate people to the needs so many kids and adults face. We might not be able to find a cure, but we've yet to meet a problem that a really good cookie can't make better - especially a safe cookie.

15 Summer Boredom Busters

School ends this week and I’m already scrambling for things to do with my kiddos that do not involve screens – limiting tv/video games/computer time is the goal this summer. But its daunting. Here’s a list of some of the best things I’ve found to do in the past – PLEASE share any ideas you may have too!!

1.       Scavenger Hunts. These are great for kids learning to read and with energy to burn (which sums up my 6 year old!). And the beauty? You can make a new one on a regular basis. Outside you can choose nature items (a green leaf, a small twig, a purple flower, pink rock) or if its raining – make one for the house (a green piece of paper, a lego girl, blue crayon, and a napkin). You can even make one for the car to entertain while on errands (a red car, billboard, gas station, fire truck, moving van). These things are endless. Grab some “prizes” from the Target $1 bins and let them go!

2.       Make art! will fully admit that a lot of times, I do not allow paint out often. But its summer, do it outside! Get some canvases from the art store, washable fingerpaints and throw on the bathing suits (or just a diaper for the younger set) and let them go nuts. You’ll be amazed what they make. And what you’re left with to hang in your home – we did this before and I’ve had people ask where they can BUY prints from the artist hanging in the hallway. My six year old has “commissioned” works for people as a result! Best part? When you’re done – hose those kids down. They’ll think its hilarious.

3.       Playdoh. Yeah, it falls in with the same rules as paint most of the year, but again, it summer – take it outside. We all know what happens when we push the square shape into the playdoh, boring. But what if you press a stick in it? Or a funny shaped rock? Or a leaf? Encourage the kids to sculpt things they see, or things they don’t. Imagining far off adventures in the backyard is good for the soul!

4.       Wash your car. This serves two purposes: your car is clean and your kids are happily excited. For as long as I can recall, my son has loved washing cars. If you throw him a couple of bucks for helping, it teaches him to work for something – which I love!!! But beyond that, letting him play in the sudsy water, rub a big ‘ol messy sponge on the car, and let it (and him) get sprayed down with the hose is tons of fun. Our neighbors probably can’t figure out why I “obsess” about the car…but really I’m just entertaining the kid!

5.       Water your lawn. Same thing as the car. Set that sprinkler up and show those kids how its done. The sprinkler outranks the kiddy pool and slip and slide at our house. There’s something extra free about using your dad’s sprinkler to have the time of your life running around like a fool in the yard. You can twirl, roll, kick, and run with all your might – everything a kid likes to do. BONUS POINTS: put your insecurities or whatever away and get in that sprinkler. The kids will be talking about it for days. You’re making memories here people!

6.       Go to the library. It’s free people. Most libraries have summer reading programs (we’ve earned more silly little toys the last few summers!), this is great for many reasons. First, it keeps the kids entertained without breaking your bank. There is no shortage on entertainment in books. Secondly, it keeps their skills up for the school year. At some point they DO go back to school and it’d be nice if they remember SOME of what they learned the previous year. Lastly, you’re giving them a lifelong gift. Reading is power and reading is important to get where you want to be in life. Plant that seed young. Grab yourself a book, set the example. Create a cozy reading spot and time in the house for some daily quiet time for EVERYONE to enjoy.

7.       Google your city. Our city is full of things that are free for kids to check out. Art fairs, festivals, children’s concerts, park parties, story hours, and many other things. We wandered a free Civil War camp reenactment two years back and our six year old STILL talks about that and remembers things. Keep those little brains going!

 

8.       Go old school. Remember being a kid and playing games outside all day in the summers? We had limited options really, but kids now days aren’t as isolated. Remember back to being a kid and invite some friends over to join in some old school fun. Ever play kick the can? Capture the Flag? Red Rover? Hopscotch? Leap Frog? Duck Duck Goose? Red Light, Green Light? Mother May I? Simon Says? I bet most of your kids haven’t. Heck, reading that list, my kids don’t even know all of those. Show them how it’s done!

9.       Celebrate something silly. There’s a million places to find wacky holidays that really exist, so live it up. July 7 is ice cream cone day – make an ice cream bar! June 20 is juggling day. Give it whirl – just don’t get discouraged. July 19 is New Friends Day – head to the park with one goal in mind: MAKE A FRIEND! There’s plenty of sites to check out (here’s one example: http://www.squidoo.com/365holidays) but make any day special.

10.   Make summer bucket list. Sometimes, your kids are the best ones at coming up with things they want to do. And often times, they’ll shock you. Some goals my son has made in the past? Be able to ride his bike to Grandma’s house (she lives 1 mile away), learn to whistle, learn to snap his fingers, and see a bird’s nest. Really? I’m freaking out about how to afford 800 lessons, trips, play dates, and other things and THIS is what you want to do? I love it. We’ve done it all. I’m excited for this year’s list!

11.   Hit up the Farmer’s Market. Between the people watching and all of the new sights and smells, your kids will be entertained. You’ll be able to find some fresh fruits and veggies to fill their bellies too! AND they might just be more willing to eat it if they were a part of getting it. Worth a shot, right?

12.   Make fort. Indoors or outdoors, forts rock. You can read in there, play in there, draw pictures, take a nap, eat your lunch – and pretend all sorts of fantastic things. You’d be amazed how far a couple of chairs and a sheet can take your kids.

13.   Play board games. We love board games at our house but from what I’ve seen visiting friends some of that is getting lost. Makes me sad. Spruce up your collection. Our favorites include Phineas and Ferb, Sorry, Connect Four, ISpy, and Chutes and Ladders. Not only are the kid entertained but they’ll start talking. Again, the memories and relationship you’re building over a couple of dice is priceless.

14.   Bake something awesome. My son loves to flip through my cookbooks (usually the ones involving cakes or cookies) and picking out something to bake. He loves going to the store to carefully choose his ingredients, then puts on his apron and helps measure, stir, and prep everything. The oven is my domain, but he’s ready to share whatever he’s made and is always very proud to see his final work.

15.   Have a picnic. Go all out. Pack sandwiches, some light sides, desserts, and drinks. Spread out the blanket and enjoy an old fashioned picnic. Some menu ideas: turkey and cheese sandwiches, sunbutter sandwiches (I’m sure some of you can do peanut butter), crackers, grapes, apples, strawberries, popcorn, watermelon, cookies, and whatever other goodies your kids love. Change things up and keep them entertained.

There’s some things to get you started. Really, just use your imagination. Kids are simple. They want to have fun, they want to be a part of things, and they want to be with you. Notice I did not say anything about making time to check your facebook, email, words with friends, or whatever other silly games you play. Save that for nap time or bed time.

You’ve got three short, precious months to enjoy your kids at the ages they are. No second chances. Think outside the box, get a little crazy, and enjoy every last bit of it. And if you have other ideas – please share!! I gotta get through a whole summer too!!!

Bird Brained Festivities

Did you have a good Memorial Day? We sure did. It was sunny, close to 90, a little humid, and we just redid the play area in the back yard. It was the perfect recipe for a day of fun in the sun family memories.

But, like every other day that I pray will become a cherished memory something always goes awry.

We were good as we played in the sprinklers, got the kids pool filled, had a water fight, munched a few snacks, and had some neighbor kids over. The swinging was great, the new fort worked well, and millions of bubbles were blown, chased, and popped. After a long winter inside, we were finally outside and at the request of our son, we decided to eat outside too.

I took one step toward the house to gather what I needed and heard a pop, then felt a squish. As I looked down, I was standing IN a baby bird. I’m assuming he fell out of a nest somewhere high in the tree that covers part of our yard.

Immediately, my normally rough and tumble ninja/warrior/brave boy was a sobbing mess. It was like the end of Old Yeller in the backyard.

“Why did you step on him mom?!”

Really? I’m hosing birdy off my foot and he thinks I did this on purpose? I assured him that other than the bird, I was probably the most disturbed party involved in this mess. There is squished bird ON MY BAREFOOT.

This led to “Why was he there? Where is his mom? Why did this happen?” and a litany of others.

To get him off the topic, I decided to try and get the bird out of the yard. The shovel just made a bigger mess, the little trowel somehow sent feathers everywhere – finally my husband quietly came over and told me “I think I’m just going to have to mow him – he’s really into the grass.”

Gross.

I moved the kids along and got them to forget about him. Hands were washed, dinner was cooked and as I approached the picnic table to give our son his plate, he was holding something in his hand and investigating it. If you have a six year old boy, you know where this is going. It was a “chunk” of our bird buddy.

I may have freaked out more then, than when it was on my foot. I marched him in, made him wash his hands three times. I washed them once. And we purelled the living daylights out of the kid. I was about ready to cancel eating outside (I hate it anyway with all the bugs that fly around). But we got to the table, sans bird, and enjoyed a meal.

As our daughter finished her meal, my husband plopped her onto the ground to play for a few minutes – RIGHT ON TOP OF THE DAMN BIRD. I may have lost my cool for a moment when asking him why my darling baby was now SITTING in dead bird. I’m not sure how, but he claims he forgot the bird was there. Temporary insanity possibly? Maybe.

By the end of the day, the bird was scrubbed off the baby’s legs and butt as well. We’re all bird free. And my lawn is getting mowed today.

And I’m guessing, while it’s not the stuff of Hallmark movies, we made plenty of memories we won’t be forgetting any time soon.

NO SCHMUCKS!

Experienced something new this week. Grounding. Not a new concept to me, but this time around I’m the parent.

It’s weird on this end.

As I recall from my childhood, my mother liked grounding kids. She greatly enjoyed watching our eyes swell with tears as our guilty little lips quivered after being caught doing something that could be chalked up as childhood curiosity, but was still wrong. Seeing our little shoulders slump as we stared at the ground and listened to our simple world of playing with friends and watching tv before bed be shattered before us. And once we were crying, I’m sure she felt a true sense of happiness and fulfillment.

That’s what I got from this process as a kid. That and the fact that she was always over reacting and I never did anything wrong.

Then I had kids. And my oldest, at age 6, did something that was naughtier than what a simple time out could fix. I’ll spare the details (he could Google this at some point and not want his mother sharing his childhood follies in complete details). I had to ground him. Half an hour earlier bedtime and no DS for 4 days. Sounded great in theory. It was hard to say it to him. Then after he went to bed in tears, I sat there fighting back tears. I felt like the meanest, most unfair, horrible mother ever. I took away 30 minutes of his play time. His play time WITH ME. And he doesn’t play the DS often, but it’s the one thing in life he loves to play with more than anything…

Mothers do not like grounding. They might hate it more than the kids. I am not happy or fulfilled. I am sad and full of guilt. I’m not up at night playing his games and laughing at his fate. I’m praying all night that he can just be perfect during this time so I don’t have to extend this. I think that might kill me. I honestly think that grounding my kid is the hardest thing I’ve done since giving birth to him.

All I really want to do is go tell him nevermind and give him a new game as a peace offering for how mean I am. But I know, that’s not what he needs. He’s got friends. He needs his mother to guide him and lead him, even when the path is hard for us both. I repeat this mantra in my head: “I will not raise a schmuck, I will not raise a schmuck…” and it’s gotten us through. I just hope someday he’ll see that punishing him is my least favorite thing of all with being a parent.

Stand strong Mommas. Be firm but love your kids. We can all do this and raise nice boys. The kind of boys we want our daughters marrying.

And I’m sorry Mom, you’re not evil and I’m guessing the same feelings and thoughts went through your head too. Thanks though, I got the message and I’m glad I’m not a schmuck.

Working momma dinner strikes again!

I am addicted to pinterest. The creativity and great time saving tips I've been able to find are just great. However, it is the recipes that keep getting me. My family thinks some sort of recipe renaissance has exploded in my head....but really, I've abandoned my Farmville crops and shifted my evening obsession to pinning things to make our lives better!


Sometimes though, some of these recipes are still a little more work than a full time working, full time student, mother of two has time for! So I have to make some tweaks, but still get some awesome results.


This recipe started through pinterest from the great blog Iowa Girl Eats (link here: http://iowagirleats.com/2012/01/30/super-bowl-recipe-week-mini-corn-dog-muffins/) my son saw them on the board (oh yeah, he checks out the pins too) and immediately wanted them. I looked at the recipe and realized "I can be lazy on these!" So I was.


LAZY Corn Dog Muffins

1 - package of hotdogs
2 - boxes of Jiffy Mix Corn muffin
shredded cheese, if you're into that (we are!)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees


Cut hotdogs into 1 inch chunks
Prepare Jiffy mix and pour into mini muffin tins, about 3/4 full
Push 1 section of hot dog into the middle of each dog
Bake for roughly 10 minutes, until the muffin is golden brown

*you can sprinkle with cheese before baking if you want or get it on thereright as it comes out of the oven.


The end result?




Delish. The kids were so excited I had to start plating right away, no time for fancy pictures - but here's one of the end result. And the pickiest six year old ate six of these!! The one year old packed away FOUR (don't ask me how she did it). It was a hit.


And for my husband who declared I was goin to need a lot more muffins, I made some grown up ones too. Same recipe but in a standad muffin tin, still filled 3/4 full but with TWO hot dog sections in it and then baked for about 10 minutes.


Daddy's plate:


Super easy. Super fast. And SUPER yummy. The reviews at home were great! Welcome to the recipe rotation little corn dogs. This would be a GREAT recipe to get your kid chef involved on too...mine was too busy playing outside to be troubled this day!

Bullied at work - what's a mom to do?

Alright kids, here we go. Am I just a mom who struggles with kindergarten and keeping things off the living room floor? No. I’m a working mom with career goals. Over the years have they changed? Well yeah. My priorities have changed.

Do I want to rule the world? Well, I already do. I’m the final say on the outfits in our house. On the tv shows, when friends can come over, when friends must go, who gets a bath when, how much food “counts” as a dinner, and a plethora of other items.

Do I want to rule another world? Not so much anymore. But I wouldn’t mind managing a small corner of it or at least being treated like I’m not an idiot. See? Change in priorities but completely doable, right?

So I’ve got a real problem with people strolling into my corner of the office (note: not my corner office) and trying to tell me how to do my job. Not so much if this is an actual boss or executive – but when you’ve worked here for 3 months and 2 years experience? I really don’t need to hear it. In fact, when I get these lectures from the new kiddo – who I shall refer to as DB from here on out – all I really hear is blah-blah-blah.

I know this Is a male dominated industry, but it still gives DB no right to speak to me or anyone else as if we’re inferior idiots to him. Most of what he says is wrong or at least slightly off base. He needs help with simple tasks non-stop. And answering a question once isn’t enough – we have to answer it at least 4 times a week, every week. There’s no learning when you know it all already, right? Not sure why he’s asking so many questions if he knows it all though….perhaps that’s part of my idiocy.

I have loved this job and my work at this company for the duration of my time here. Yes, there’s been hiccups along the way, every job has them. But now, to be degraded daily and spoken to like a child (did I mention I’m college educated in this industry with 10 years experience?) is disgusting. To get no assistance from any level of management in correcting this when dealing with it personally didn’t work is disheartening.

My choice from the execs? Sit here and take that – or I can be demoted to another department. One where my brain will slowly rot and my co-workers will wonder, what on earth happened to me? I’ll keep my pay but ever moving up will be even more of a challenge.

Do I swallow my pride and continue being treated like garbage?
Do I just leave the situation and stress for something I can do in my sleep?
Do I try to find another company and job I’d love like I’ve loved this one?
What do I tell my kids if I take the demotion?
What WOULD I tell my kids if this were them?
What would you do?

I'm an archaeologist

While weekends may be for the mothers of school aged children to recoup from the trauma of elementary school....this does not apply to the mothers of babies.

I, unfortunately, am a member of both mother groups.

While the kindergarten antics have died down, the baby is making sure no one has a boring weekend. She's mobile now. I've become a carpet archaeologist looking out for every stray string, crumb, toy, marble, bead, or WHATEVER that the carpet seems to create overnight. I am having an affair with my vacuum - giving it more loving attention than I have been giving to my husband.

Yet last night, it happened. Not in my 5+ years of motherhood have I experienced this. I saw one of the ends of those little plastic "strings" that hold price tags on clothing on the floor. No idea where it came from. I started to go get it but before I could, she snatched it and ate it.

Then game the gagging and gasping as it went down, followed by her crying and gagging as I tried to get to it first and pull it out (I failed) and then the crying as it went down - you can't tell me that felt good.

So at 8 months old, before trying bread, milk, cookies, real meat, or anything that does not come in a prepackaged jar from the baby aisle, the baby ate plastic. And now my archaeological ambitions continue, only they've now moved to the diaper table as I tear apart every turd from this kid looking for the price tag.

And here I thought archaeology was all glamor and excitement like Indiana Jones. I'm in the Temple of Doom alright - but its much stinkier than I envisioned.

What's my name?

I thought that the first day of kindergarten would be the hardest. I was wrong. The second was worse. First, it was worst because I could not bring him. I could not hide around that corner and make sure it went ok. I had to let him be dropped off by my sister and then pray someone in the building found him before he accidentally passed himself off as the shortest third grader ever. I called after drop off time and my sister, a pro at this with a 1st grader in the same school, laughed about my neurotic worrying and assured me he made it to school just fine.

Then came the call at lunch.

"Mrs. P? Just calling to see why your son wasn't in school today."
"Not in school!? What do you mean NOT IN SCHOOL. He's there. Check all the rooms! HE IS THERE!"
"They have a sub and she took attendance and he's not there."

Now, its important to stop here and note that my son is a Junior, named after his dad. To save confusion (and in part because I wasn't 100% sold on the first name when he was born) we agreed to call him by his middle name. While all legal forms have his actual God-given name, he has never in his life been called or referred to by that. I used to joke that I wasn't sure he KNEW his real first name...turns out I was right.

"They have a sub? She's calling the wrong name. GO back and ask for him by his middle name..."

The secretary ran down, called out the middle name, and there was my sweet boy sitting at the table coloring a cat with all of his friends. Crisis averted. Again, never doubt the level of stress and concern your mother goes through on any given day without your knowledge.

She's freaking out over something possibly major often....and you're just coloring a cat.