They Call Me Mr. Tantrum

Over the last few weeks, I have noticed a peek in temper tantrum activities in Aj. He is almost three, so it's definitely the age that makes parents all over the world want to pull their hair out and claim "safe haven." Some days are better than others, but most days, this is about how it goes:

Aj- "Juice pack?" Me- "No, Aj. You already had one." Commence screaming.

Aj- "Outside?" Me- "No, Aj. Mommy has six loads of laundry to fold." Commence screaming.

Aj- "Thomas?" Me- "No, Aj. We've already watched Thomas 13 times. I would like to maintain my sanity for awhile longer." Commence screaming.

I could keep giving you examples, but I'm sure you get the picture. Pretty much anything he asks for, and I say no, we go through about five minutes of screaming, whining, and it usually ends up with me feeling just as frustrated as he does.

The experts tell you to ignore the tantrums. Just make sure they can't hurt themselves, then walk away. That's great. Want to know what happens when I walk away? He screams more. A few days ago, during one of his tantrums because I got him out of the bath tub before he was ready, I sent him to his room. I went in to put his clothes on him, and he told me no, and screamed at me, and I put his clothes on anyway. Then I told him if he couldn't be nice, he had to stay in his room. I walked away, and he screamed until he almost threw up. I guess the experts haven't met my kids.

So to this day, I don't know how to handle my child's temper. Usually, with time he stops crying and settles down, but quite honestly, I think it has to be up to him. I'm pretty sure there's nothing I can do to stop these tantrums. Heaven help me until this age ends.





In my quest for finding out how else to handle these, I came across a neat little website I would like to share. www.familyeducation.com It has expert and parental advice, a list of developmental milestones by age group, and all sorts of other resources. Enjoy.

Outlasting

We go through the day, just making it through.
We've done all that we aspired to do.
We made our money, we've done our best.
We worked so much that we did not rest.

We get so caught up in this silly world,
We don't pause to realize how life has unfurled.
The whole time we worried about "important" things,
We failed to pay attention to our actual blessings.

Memories aren't made by working to death,
How can you live when you can't catch your breath?
You can control what your destiny will be,
You have the power to dictate your legacy.

Though our lives may be short, and gone in a flash,
We can still make memories that last.
After we're gone from this world for good,
Will we leave good things where we once stood?

Through all of these trials and all of the fuss,
Let's make sure we leave something to outlast us.

All I Want For Christmas Is...Sleep.

My alarm is set. The house is locked up. The lights are all turned off. It's 11:00 pm, and for once, I'm in bed on time. I think to myself, "Finally, I'll get a good amount of sleep and be well rested tomorrow." Wrong. Some time around 3:30 Aj woke up and came into my room. Instead of fighting, I let him sleep in bed with me, which means I had to give up my pillow and deal with Blankie in my face. Whatever, I'm going back to sleep. Five o'clock rolls around. Caleb wakes up and comes in the room. He asks if it's time for school, and in the process, wakes Aj up. Some how, I got them both to go back to sleep...until about 6:00. Somewhere around then, I sent them both out to watch TV so I could snooze until my alarm went off.

When I got out of bed this morning, all I could think was, "How hard is it to get 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep?" I mean really, I'm not asking to sleep until noon, or have a whole day reserved for sleeping (even though I'm pretty sure I could sleep for a whole day). All I want is seven consecutive, uninterrupted hours.

Well guys, get out your cheat sheets. Here's an excellent Christmas gift idea for the lady in your life: let her sleep. I know it sounds silly, and almost to easy to be true, but that's really all you have to do. Pick a day and say, "This day, I'm going to let you sleep. Don't worry about the morning stuff, just get some sleep." You would be surprised how excited this could make a girl. Of course, this requires you to possibly put a child on the bus, or take them to school, or feed the baby and change a diaper, but the rewards are worth it.

So to sum up, Mommy's Christmas Wish List probably goes something like this: Sleep, Victoria's Secret gift card (every body wins on that one), a massage, and something sparkly. For country girls, add something camoflage. For girly girls, add a spa day. See that? I just made your holiday a little easier. You're welcome.

Why Should I Be?

I know today is supposed to be Poetry Wednesday, but I just didn't have it this morning. Instead, I would like to tell you what's really on my mind.

Sometimes, our life seems like it's going straight to hell. Whether it be work, a living situation, or recent life changing events, it doesn't always go the way we hoped or planned, and let's face it, that sucks. Within the last week or so, I've heard more sad stories than good ones, and I've done my fair share of complaining.

This is supposed to be the time of year we count our blessings and give thanks. It's pretty hard to do when you're facing the recent death of a loved one or the return of a recurring illness. So with all this bad news, and sad events, why should we be so thankful?

Everything we have in life, even the things we feel have been taken away from us, were a gift to us. When we were born, we didn't come with a guarantee of health, our loved ones didn't come with a guarantee of being there our whole life, and our life didn't come with a certificate of pleasantries.

If you have recently lost a loved one, give thanks for the time you had with them. You weren't promised a single day with them, let alone the amount of time you got. All that time, and all those good memories were a gift. If you or a loved one is facing serious illness, give thanks. Although facing sickness sucks, be thankful that person is still in your life or that you are still in the life of the ones who love you. Be thankful that you still have time to make more memories.

If you have a job you hate, be thankful you have one at all. If you don't have a job, be grateful you don't have a job you hate. If you hate where you live, be happy you have a home. If you're without a home, be happy you don't have to pay rent or a mortgage. Not where you want to be? Be glad you aren't where you were.

Thanksgiving isn't a time to pretend everything is perfectly fine. It's just a time to be thankful for things, even when we don't feel like we should.

And That's Why They Call Them Half Days

It's the week before Thanksgiving. Every child and parent knows that means only one thing: half days. To a kid, this means it's easier to go to school, because they're going to be out before they know it. The whole day seems to go by faster as classes are shorter. And no matter what day of the week it is, a half day always feels like a Friday. I remember being in school and loving half days. It was pretty awesome.

Now here's the parents side. Half days means I still have to do all the prep work in the morning like he's going to school for a whole day. I still wake up early, make my pot of coffee, make him a "lunch", and get his uniform ready. We still have to go wait for the bus, and I still have to deal with Aj waking up before he should because he hears us walking around. Then, when I would normally have enough time to accomplish things, but not today.

Today, in about four hours, I'll have to go wait for the bus again. You would be surprised how much I can accomplish in four hours, but it still won't be what I normally get done in a day. Then, when Caleb gets home, I'll have an extra two hours of listening to the boys fight over toys and begging me to go outside, not to mention fighting over what they're going to eat.

So if you ever wondered why they called them half days when they're aren't really half of a school day, it's because it literally breaks a parent's day in half. Good luck with that.

The Curse of Genetics

All my life I've been fighting,
Fighting an unseen foe.
He makes me drop all sorts of things,
Hit my hands, and stub my toes.

I spent time in a cast when I was six,
Fell off of a slide at five.
Cuts, gashes, and bee stings, I mean really,
It's a miracle I survived.

Now I've gotten a little more careful,
And this foe now, Heaven forbid,
Has stopped attacking me,
And now he goes after my kids.

Three times in two weeks it's happened now,
A phone call or note from the nurse.
He's fallen down stairs, or off of the slide,
It seems I've passed on my curse.

Who knew I could pass this to my children,
Who knew clumsiness was a gene?
What I do know is if they're anything like me,
It will be amazing if they see fifteen.

God please help my poor children,
If it be your will.
Keep them away from injury and harm,
And keep from me the ER bill.

And I Die A Little Inside...

Every parent knows that a child enjoys,
Playing with all sorts of noisy toys.
However what parents don't always know,
Is the more annoying, the better the show.

Max and Ruby, where are your parents?
Your entire show doesn't make any sense.
I expect more from my child than just one word,
And a boy playing tea party is a little absurd.

Dora the Explorer, yeah, you did it alright.
Because of you, I have a serious plight.
You keep my child quiet and entertained,
But I have a headache, and I'm going insane.

Thomas makes me want to curl up and die,
Your antics are so pointless I want to cry.
Bubble Guppies, your jokes are so bad,
Your songs stink, the whole thing is just sad.

I could speak on more shows, I could whine all day long.
But Heaven forbid my kid doesn't see his show when it's on.

A Return To Normal

For the past two months, our house has been torn apart. We were one of the unfortunate families who had damage due to Hurricane Irene. Because of flooding, the lower level of our house has been in shambles and we haven't been able to use it. But last week, my husband and I, and a few of our closest friends, have been working all day, everyday to get it back to functional.

We've torn up flooring, drywall, and studs. We've replaced walls, insulation, and painted. We worked through joint pain and sickness, and just when it seemed like it would never be finished, we succeeded. The last few nights we've been able to sit downstairs by the fire, watching TV and relaxing like we've wanted to for a long time. There's still a little work to be done, but at least we can enjoy all of our house again.

This might be the first time in a long time that I've been excited to do laundry or sweep the house. The rest of the house got completely neglected while we were working downstairs, and while I'm almost caught up, it's nice to know I can focus on what I usually do. Getting back into my routine is wonderful, and not having to worry about the fact that my house is torn up is a weight off my shoulders. We once again have "adult space" back.

Now it might be a stretch, but I feel like this can be an analogy for a life lesson. Becoming a parent can be a complete disruption in our lives. We go from thinking only of ourselves to suddenly having to worry about another living being over ourselves. We have to work through pain, sickness, sorrow, and fatigue to get things done. It seems at times like the work will never be done. But, there comes a turning point, and all of a sudden you're at the point where you can sit back and enjoy all the hard work you put into it. One of the most rewarding things is being able to see the fruits of your labor. And while your work isn't necessarily finished, you hit that defining moment, when you almost have to stop, look around you and enjoy all you have accomplished.

Things I've Learned

This week, I've learned numerous things from my children. Here's a short list of the most important ones:

1) No matter how tired or sick you are, your children don't care.

2) Waking up to a child staring at you at 5:30 in the morning is not only infuriating, it's really creepy too.

3) The dumbest things can scare the crap out of your child. They can go all through Halloween without getting scared once, but a stink bug makes them scream bloody murder.

4) Baby gates are not made to keep a two year-old contained.

5) Children do not care what time it is. If they think it's time to wake up, it's time to wake up.

6) If a "timeout" is supposed to last four minutes, your child will behave for exactly three minutes and thirty seconds.

7) Boys think throwing sticks across the road at 7:30 in the morning is funny.

8) Coffee is no match for a child's energy at 6:30 AM.

9) Toilet paper can be a really fun toy, that is until Mommy finds you out.

10) No matter how good or bad your day has been, nothings compares to the calm and solace of knowing both of your children are asleep.


Remember parents, never stop learning.

This Is Halloween

Originally, Halloween was "Samhain," a Celtic festival celebrating the end of the summer and taking stock of supplies needed for winter. It was also the time of year when they saw a surge in paranormal and spiritual activity. To ward off evil spirits, the Celts built large bonfires and conducted animal (and sometimes human) sacrifices.

Fast-forward to the 12th century. November 1st and 2nd are All Saints Day (All Hallows) and All Souls day, celebrated largely by much of the Christian world, and considered a fairly important holiday. This was a time of praying for the souls of the departed, who may have still been in purgatory. In what is now the United Kingdom, this involved "souling", where poor people would go door to door on November 1st and receive food in exchange for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day.

Between the Protestant Reformation, the founding of the United States, and perhaps just a change in times, what we celebrate now is Halloween. We bob for apples, carve and paint pumpkins, and decorate our houses. We dress our kids and ourselves in costumes that range from the creepy to the ridiculously silly. We parade through the towns drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest and apple cider. We still have parties and bonfires, and we still go door to door, except now we beg for candy instead of food. We watch scary movies and hours-long marathons of the Munsters, and listen to "Monster Mash."

Have we degraded what was once a sacred festival and holiday? Have we strayed so far from the point we no longer remember for what this day was intended? My answer is this- who cares? It's Halloween! Have fun trick-or-treating tonight!

With Eyes Like A Child

If I asked you to describe the world in one word, what would you say? Dull? Boring? Busy? That is because we see things on a grand scale. We see how one thing in the world can affect us all. We see how boring it is to do the same thing every day, and the futility of life. That is why my children never cease to amaze me.

They see a leaf fall from a tree and it's entertainment until it blows out of sight. They spot an airplane in the sky at night, and Caleb dreams of flying. A simple trip to the store can be an adventure. Every child sees every moment separately. When that leaf falls, they don't care that the wind is blowing. They just want to watch the leaf. They don't care that people are protesting, that Congress is fighting amongst themselves, that the lower half of our house is still torn apart because of flood damage. They live in this moment, and nothing matters except what they see and dream.

When a child dreams about something, they don't sit and think about why it will never work. They just dream about going to space, or driving a race car, or being a super hero. They can't see the thousand reasons why it will most likely never happen, and they don't want to. They just dream. There is a lot going on in our lives today. But we have the opportunity, if only for a little while, to see the world through a child's eyes. Dream about what you want to without caring about the details. Look at everything as though you had never seen it before. Allow your self to be amazed at something small. We may not be able to do it all the time, but perhaps, just for a few minutes, we can let ourselves view the world in a happier way.

Samhainophobia

There comes a certain time of year,
Leaving parents rapt with fear.
Into the depths and darkness we peer,
All Hallow's Eve is finally here.

The kids have all dressed up for the night,
The price tag being the most ghastly sight.
And though you can fight it with all your might,
It's the bill that will give you the biggest fright.

Picture-time being the next biggest thrill,
Good luck getting the kids to stand still.
All of the cuteness and all of the frill,
Is no match for a two year-old's stubborn will.

The sugar is now coursing through their veins,
Driving all the children a little insane.
Please, dear God, let the sugar high wane,
And remind my children they still have a brain.

And so it's no wonder we parents still fear,
This wonderfully cursed time of year,
Put the kids in their beds and hand me a beer,
'Cause All Hallow's Eve is finally here.

But I Don't Wanna!

I probably couldn't count on one hand how many times during the day one of my kids will tell me they don't want to do something. Brush your teeth, eat your dinner, go to bed- they usually are responded to the same way, "But I don't wanna!" Of course usually I say, "Get used to doing things you don't like to, 'cause that's life." They don't get it, but at least I've said it.

I was wondering, where did this come from? Did they just automatically understand they can whine about stuff? Did they magically come up with this phrase, and if so, how does every child come up with this phrase on their own? Then it occurred to me...

"Mommy, the sun's up. That means wake up." But I don't wanna!

"Hey babe, can you do some laundry?" But I don't wanna!

-Trash overflowing, no one here but me. But I don't wanna!

-Dishes piling up in the sink. But I don't wanna!

"Mommy, there's no juice packs left. Let's go to the store!" But I don't wanna!

Well I figured out where that came from...woops. At least the advice I gave him was sound.

Because Manners Matter

Everyday, my son gets on the bus with the little girl from next door. They're in the same class and they ride the same bus, so they know each other pretty well. Well the weather the other day was expected to be rainy, so this little girl was carrying her Princess umbrella to school with her. The bus pulls up, we all say our goodbyes and give hugs and kisses, then Caleb did something I never expected him to do. He held this girls hand as they crossed the road, then held her umbrella for her while she got on the bus. It was the cutest thing and this girl's grandmother was beside herself. She was so beside herself that she texted the girl's mom to tell her what happened right then and there. They both thought it was the cutest thing ever.

Then it occured to me, there was a period of time when that wouldn't have been cute, it would have been expected. What has the world come to that when a young child has manners it's surprising? So I put together a list of manners that every child should know, and that every parent should make an effort to teach.

1). Please and Thank you. If they ask for anything from anyone, it should be accompanied with please. If anything from anyone is given to them, it should be acccompanied with thank you. These are also used in conjunction with "yes" and "no" to be polite. Such as "Yes, please." and "No thank you." These terms should be used with everyone from strangers to family members.

2) Opening and holding the door for someone else. Obviously this one is difficult to teach from a young age. It's not like you can tell your six month-old to go hold the door, but you can teach them by doing it yourself until they're old enough and strong enough.

3) Table manners. Parents can begin to teach children this as soon as they start getting real food. Use your fork and spoon, and use them properly. Don't talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed. Before leaving the table, ask permission to be excused.

4) Say "excuse me." This has multiple meanings. After passing gas, if you bump into someone, or if you need an adults attention.

5) No swearing. I can't think of something that bothers me more than hearing little kids swear like they're adults. I recently heard the saying, "If the child swears, slap the parent." Where do you think the child heard it in the first place? If you do swear in front of your child, apologize to them for it and tell them it was very impolite of you to say that. Which brings me to my final point...

All of these manners can be taught by being a good example to your child. Do you think your child will say please if you don't? Or thank you? Do you think they'll swear if you swear? Parents need to be careful of what we teach our children. This list I gave you is very condensed, and it certainly doesn't include everything. I found a "comprehensive" list online, to which I'll include the link, but I find even that one to be lacking a few.

Times have changed, but that doesn't mean that manners should.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/25-manners-every-kid-should-know-by-age-9-2480238

Boys Will Be Boys

The food was pulled out of the pantry,
The juice was spilled on the floor.
The toys have all been torn out of their box,
And the clothes pulled out of their drawers.

The TV is blaring the shows I can't stand,
Because my child wouldn't stop sulking.
I suffer through the worst of the worst,
In an effort to make him stop talking.

Pick up your little trains off the floor,
No, I really don't want to play.
What I want to you to do is sit on your butt,
And let me have a good day.

Today is one of those days I guess,
When nothing really goes well.
I don't want to keep repeating myself,
And I certainly don't want to yell.

But I know I'm going to have to yell,
I'm going to trip over toys.
I'm going to be pushed to my limits because,
I'm the mother of two little boys.

Talk About Dedicated

It's 6:35 AM. My alarm has just gone off, and after a short snooze, I decide I should get moving. I know within the next 30 minutes, I have an important decision to make. You see, last night, before Caleb went to bed, the poor kid could not stop coughing. He isn't running a fever, he just has this nagging cough and a runny nose. I know it's just a cold, and I know taking him to the doctor won't do anything. But this morning at 7, when he was still sleeping, it was hard not to just let him sleep and tell the school he wouldn't be in today.

Well I heard him coughing, so I decided to go see how he was feeling. Upon entering his room, I find the poor thing still in bed, and coughing his head off. I ask, "How are you feeling today, Bud?" And he responds by telling me, he's "Not feeling very well, Mommy." At this point, I want him to stay home. I want him to sleep, and I want this cough to go away. I asked him if he wanted to stay home or go to school, and before I could even finish my sentence, he was out of bed and saying, "Go to school!" Alright, I guess we're going to school. He could barely eat his breakfast because of the coughing, and at one point, he actually asked me for medicine.

I wasn't sure how to handle this. I remember my childhood, and I remember trying to use the sniffles as an excuse to stay home. This kid can't stop coughing, and is actually asking for medicine so he can still go to school. I'm used to the fight, "You're not fevered, you're still going." Not the fight, "You don't have to go." "But I want to!" This is all new to me. Well, I let him go to school. A kid that dedicated should be rewarded. So what I did was write his teacher a little note explaining what was going on, and that if he were to get any worse to call me, but I figured I would leave it up to him. After all, he is the one who has to go to school and for some reason, he really enjoys it. I would hate to squash that.

"A Ministering Angel Shall My Sister Be..."

Growing up with my sister was like riding a roller coaster. One minute, we would fight, the next minute we were laughing so hard no sound was coming out. We fought over music, baseball players, and who already cleaned what. We laughed over everything and anything. Out of dead silence, and without prompting, we would both start singing the same song, at the same part, in the same key. She could take any class in school and pass without breaking a sweat. She could play volleyball as well as a professional, and make sweating (and falling) look good.

But more importantly, if I had trouble with a class in school, she would help me. She didn't get mad when I decided I wanted to play volleyball too. In fact, it turned into something that we thoroughly enjoy doing together. If I had boy problems, she would talk to me. If I had any problems, she would help me how she could. We've laughed together, loved together, drank wine and cried together. We've seen happy times together, and we've mourned the loss of loved ones together. Through it all, even through the dark times, came out of it together.

No matter what we go through in the future, we will go through it knowing that we always have each other; that our best friend will be right next to us the whole way. I am thankful that I was born a younger sister, because I'm not sure I could have made it without her. Happy birthday Mindy!

“For there is no friend like a sister, in calm or stormy weather, to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands." ~ Christina G. Rossetti

Once Upon A Morning Dreary

Once upon a morning dreary, while I woke up cold and weary,
Wishing I could rest my head upon my pillow as before.
While I thought of simply napping, suddenly I heard the lapping,
As of someone tap-tap-tapping, tapping on the roof and doors.
"Must be raining out," I thought, "raining on the roof and doors."
This it was, and nothing more.

At that moment, I remember, I felt like it was December,
Cold and damp and dark and icky as all winters have before.
Long I stood there, hoping, praying, waiting there with cup and staying,
Until the coffee pot brewed it's magic juice no more.
"I'm not leaving here," I said, "Until my coffee brews no more."
"Give me coffee, and nothing more."

Cup in hand and chores I'm doing, while more coffee, it is brewing,
Giving me the strength I need to accomplish many chores.
Drywall, tape, and mud and spackle, nothing is too much to tackle,
While my friend is with me and it's energy I implore.
"Surely," says my body, "Surely you must sleep some more."
Quoth the coffee, "Nevermore."

Definately, Definately Not My Pants...Definately.

I can't speak for all parents, but the majority of parents thrive on routine. Not all of us have a set schedule that we never deviate from, but we at least have a routine. We do everything in a certain order everyday. It helps a lot, and kids usually love it. Unfortunately, sometimes they love it a little too much and our routine backfires.

A few days ago, a letter was sent home from Caleb's school saying that today the kids would be allowed to wear jeans and Phillies gear, or at least red or white shirts. It's awesome to know the school supports the Phils as much as we do, so I'm loving this. The problem is, Caleb is used to wearing his uniform every day. Each morning he has two options, khakis and a blue shirt, or blue pants and a white shirt. It makes it really easy to decide what he's wearing, and I never have to worry how he's going to look if he wants to dress himself.

Apparently, however, Caleb thinks that the only way he can go to school is if he's wearing his uniform. So this morning when I put him in jeans and a Phillies shirt, he looked at me with utter disgust and says, "But Mommy, I need my new pants." I tried to explain that the school sent home a note saying they were allowed to wear this today. Daddy tried to explain that it was a special day and he was allowed to wear them. We told him everyone else would be wearing similar clothes too. It didn't matter to Caleb. He was grumpy all morning and wouldn't even give me a kiss before he got on the bus. He just couldn't break from normal routine. To quote a good movie, "Talk about anal. He must have been toilet trained at gunpoint."

So how do rid ourselves of the routine monster? Just remember it's good to have a routine. But perhaps sometimes we should remember to be a little spontaneous. Spice things up and teach our kids how to go with the flow. Rolling with the punches is a great characteristic to have, so let's remember to teach our kids that too.

Down With The Sickness

It's that time of year again- the sniffles, the sneezing, the tissues, and the coughing have returned with a vengeance. It started with Caleb, who I assume got it from school, then it spread to Aj and my husband. As of a few days ago, I was priding myself on not getting sick. I knew it was going to happen, but I had a glimmer of hope that I would be spared. Two days ago, I couldn't stop sneezing, which is usually my first indication that I've caught the virus. I wasn't feeling too bad though. I plowed through my day without too much of a problem. By ten o'clock that night, I couldn't breathe through my nose, and my throat was so sore I could barely swallow. At this point, I'm still thinking, "It's just a cold, I'll be fine." Wrong. Very, very wrong.

When I had to wake up yesterday morning at 6:30, all I could think about was going back to sleep. I couldn't even make a pot of coffee. My eyes were swollen and puffy, my throat hurt, my nose was stuffy, and I was just miserable. It was in every one's best interest that I get more rest. After Caleb got on the bus to go to school, I came back inside and took care of the other snotty kid, who was obviously feeling just as bad as I was. So I put in one of his "Thomas The Tank Engine" movies, gave him his blanket and pillow on the couch, a cup of milk, and I went back to bed. I left the door open so I could hear him, and he knew where I was if he needed me. All morning, he watched Thomas and rested, and I was able to get some much needed sleep. This is the beauty of being sick while your child is sick. Usually, they're feeling like lying around just as much as you are.

You can call it irresponsible; you can call it lazy. I call it taking care of myself so I'm able to do my job as a mom as effectively as possible. And don't get me wrong, I hate it when my children don't feel well, but if I'm not feeling well, I appreciate it if they're not either. Now, where's my hot tea?

And The Whiner Is...

Between Sunday night football and Phillies post-season baseball, all I did last night was flip back and forth between two channels. In football, the team I love was playing a team I hate, and do I really have to explain why I was watching Phillies post-season? I mean, come on, it's the Phillies, and it's post-season baseball. Of course I'm watching.

But of course, in what I assume to be the real reason women traditionally weren't into sports, I was going to have to stay up beyond when I really needed to go to sleep. I prepared for the long haul, knowing I wasn't going to bed before midnight, and plopped myself down on the couch with a bottle of Mt. Dew. Game on. Back and forth between the channels, watching half an inning here and a possession there. Commercial? Back to the other channel. Both commercials? Potty break. I was doing well. I watched the Ravens game until they were up by 17 points in the fourth quarter with about four minutes to go and decided to watch the Phillies game from then on. It was easier to stay awake with the Phils on. Of course that could be because I was yelling at the umpire who couldn't call a consistent strike to save his life, but still. And right around midnight, both games were over. Raven win, Phils lose. Not what I was hoping for.

You want to know who the real loser is? Me. Because I ended up with just under six hours of sleep. Not bad you say? No it isn't. Not normally. The problem occurs when I get six hours of sleep. I'm the kind of person who needs sleep, lots and lots of sleep. I needed a cup of coffee to make a pot of coffee this morning. I think I dropped five things while making my kid's sandwich for school. Well obviously I'm not going to give up watching the sports I love, and I can't give up making Caleb's lunch on Monday mornings, so I suppose I'll just have to suffer until the end of the seasons. One thing I did learn last night? Caleb isn't going to school the Monday after the Superbowl.

I Get The Funny Feeling...

Have you ever woken up and immediately knew it was going to be "one of those days"? That happened to me this morning. Each little incident, in and of itself, isn't really a big deal. Put it all together, however, and you have a recipe for a long day.

First of all, I'm very picky about how I wake up. To say that I'm not a morning person is the understatement of the year. I hate the sound of an alarm clock, so to ease my transition from dreamland to reality, I set the alarm on my phone and wake up to a song. This morning, my phone decided it wasn't going to work properly, and at 6:35 started making a sound similar to that of the Liberty Bell having a seizure. Not my favorite way to start the day.

On top of that, Caleb woke up in quite the mood this morning, and wasn't cooperating at all. By the time he was done eating breakfast, I had five minutes to get him out the door. I really don't like being rushed, but I think I handled it pretty well. That is, until we went outside to wait for the bus. While standing there, a stone from the driveway got stuck on the bottom of my shoe. So I scraped my shoe on the ground, then kicked the stone away. Caleb looks at me, without missing a beat, and says, "Mommy, you said not to kick the stones." Busted. Also, another kid who waits for the bus with us (who is slightly out of control) finds what appears to be a dead spider in the road and thinks that every other child should see it. When he calls the other kids over, Caleb walks right out into the middle of the road. Now I'm yelling. I don't like yelling, especially not this early in the morning. All I can think as he gets on the bus is, "This kid's getting in trouble at school today. God help his teacher."

This is just what happened in an hour and 20 minutes, not to mention what I still have to do today. I have about three loads of laundry that need to be folded and put away, plus another load I still have to do. My puppy's incision from when she got spayed looks infected, so I have to take her to the vet. Add on top of this the countless other things that need to be done on a daily basis around the house. All I can say is thank God it's Friday, and I hope things go a little smoother the rest of the day.

Please, Son, Just Five More Minutes

It's the worst time of day,
The alarm just went off.
I slide out of bed,
And gather my stuff.

The house is so dark,
I can't see the toy,
That I kicked down the hall.
I think it's destroyed.

The coffee is on,
The toast is in,
Oh crap, I think
It tripped the breaker again.

I got his lunch,
I think it's all packed.
A sandwhich, a fruit,
and maybe a snack.

I don't care if you wanted
Cheese you brat.
You'll eat what I gave you,
And that is that.

The bus will be here.
It's time to go wait.
Let's get out the door,
And hope we're not late.

Finally, the bus is here.
Hooray!
I love you, good bye,
Now go away.

Now what to do?
How am I bored?
I've cleaned, I've dusted,
and mopped the floor.

I'll just have to wait,
For school to get done.
Cause as loud as you are,
You make this house fun.

My Perpetual Motion "Machine"

My alarm rings. It's 6:35 and it's still dark outside. The house is quiet, and I have a hard time waking up. I think that I might be able to get a cup of coffee before I have to wake Caleb up to get ready for school. I come out of the bedroom and realize the TV is on and the boys are up and watching "Little Einsteins". It's still dark out for Heaven's sake!

After having my coffee and getting myself ready while still feeling like the walking dead, it's Caleb's turn. I grab his uniform, his socks, his shoes, his lunch, and his jacket. While helping him get his uniform on, he's bouncing around, asking me questions, and scolding his brother. When we walk out the door to wait for the bus, he takes off and starts running around the yard. He's kicking stones, playing hide and seek, and just won't stop moving. Heaven help his teacher today, she's going to need it.

After he left for school I started thinking. I have a lot to do today, and it would be really nice to have about an eighth of his energy. I'm pretty sure that could keep me going at a steady clip for the whole day. There's just one small little problem, since no one to date has been able to build a true perpetual motion machine, there's certainly no invention for tapping it's energy!

The Curse of the Were-Baby

Anyone who has a child, particularly a toddler, knows that sometimes their child can be the sweetest, cuddliest, cutest kid, and other times...well not so much.

Usually each child has something that will set them off- a certain time of day, taking a toy away, a sibling who is doing something mean. Mine, on the other hand, turns into were-baby anytime we're in public. Be it the grocery store, veterinarian, or the mall, this child turns into a temper tantrum throwing nightmare. Allow me to set the scene...

Aj and I are at the veterinarians office. We're there to pick up our puppy who just got spayed. Before we even get in the door, he's down on the ground throwing a fit because he doesn't want to hold my hand in the parking lot. I am such a mean mother for ensuring his safety, aren't I? After using my "mom" voice, he concedes to go inside. As soon as we walk in, he starts playing on the scale and touching everything. No big deal. I grab his hand to walk him around to the other side of the counter so I can pay and receive care instructions, and he flips. Immediately he begins to scream, goes dead weight, and flops himself face-down on the floor. The receptionists must have had two-year-olds before, because they immediately told me it's OK if he runs around, ensuring me there's nothing he can destroy. After that, he was as happy as a fox in a chicken coop. They bring out our puppy, and I go to get Aj's hand so we can go home. Once again, flops down on the floor, kicking and screaming because he doesn't want to stop playing. I had to have one of the receptionists walk our dog out to the car so I can carry the kicking and screaming child. Needless to say, by the time we got home I was at my wit's end.

I tell you that story to tell you this: If you're a parent, and your child acts like this in public, don't worry. You're certainly not the only one. If you're not a parent, and you see a child acting like this in public, don't give the mother dirty looks. Trust me, we really don't want our kids to ruin your shopping experience. Have a little sympathy, one day it might be your kid.

What The Books Can't Tell You

Like many parents, when I found out I was pregnant I read all the books I could get my hands on about parenting. I knew what milestones he should hit and when, what I should feed him during each month, what disciplinary style I wanted, that I wanted him on a three-hour feeding schedule and so on. I had basically planned his first two years of life. I had it all figured out...or so I thought.

What the books couldn't tell me is that Caleb would throw up all over everything for the first five weeks of his life due to a problem that required surgery to fix. They couldn't tell me that my child would hit certain milestones early, and other ones late; that barley is great to feed them first, except when your child won't eat it; punishment styles should vary from child to child based on each kid's personality; and a three-hour feeding schedule is great in theory, until your child is hungry an hour after his feeding and it comes down to feed him again or hear him scream for two hours.

 There are many things that books can tell you. They can be wonderful references to have on hand, but they can't tell you how life with your child will be. According to books, my children should be on a schedule, a timeout should suffice for punishment, and Heaven forbid they eat a hot dog. Well things aren't always what they should be, and there is no problem with that. Every parent should decide for themselves what is best for their life and their child, not based on what books say, but what they feel is right.

Lotion Go Down Da Hoooole...

People often yearn for their life to mimic a moment they've seen on TV or in a movie. Unfortunately, when my life mimics TV it's usually Looney Tunes or a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. My most recent adventure came a few days ago when AJ decided he was going to play in the toilet. Now, this isn't the first time he's played in the toilet. We've caught him numerous times with his hands in the cookie jar, and by cookie jar I mean toilet bowl. He splashes the water and makes a mess; I yell, strip him down, bathe him, and clean the bathroom. He thinks it's tons of fun and I think I'm going to lose my mind. This last time, however, he decided to up the ante.

With Mommy otherwise occupied, he snuck in the bathroom, opened my drawer, grabbed everything he could and threw it in the toilet. Hair bands, bracelets, even his beloved Blankey found themselves soaking in toilet water. Needless to say when I walked in to find all this I was pretty upset. I pulled what I thought was everything out of the toilet and tried to get things cleaned up. But for the rest of the day, the toilet didn't seem to be flushing properly. I knew something got flushed, I just didn't know what, until I went to bed that night. That was when I realized I was missing my face cream. Well now I know why the toilet isn't flushing right. Luckily for me, there are plumbers in the family and I was able to have someone come out the next morning and fix it.

So just remember parents, be careful what you keep next to the toilet. Because unlike cartoons, what goes down the hole doesn't always come back.

The Importance of Compassion

This one is going to be short and to the point. There's a lot of things we want to teach our children: manners, math, how to read, etc. All of these are extremely important, but we're missing a key factor...compassion.

This one isn't the kind of thing where we look at our kids and say, "Now kids, remember to be compassionate" and have it really sink in. What they need is a good example of what compassion looks like. My grandparents were constantly helping people where they could. He owned a shoe store and worked with the Salvation Army to provide people with what they needed. They took in a couple who had just come to America and helped them get on their feet. To them, there was no inconvenience, because they knew how important it was.

I'm hoping that my children see that quality in me, and I hope it passes along. I also hope people realize how important it is to consider your fellow man, and try to teach the next generation to do so as well.

One-On-One

Yesterday, I had to go pick up a few things from the grocery store. My husband just happened to be home, so I asked him if he was going to be around if he could keep one of the kids while I went. Well Caleb ended up wanting to go to the store. We finished getting ready and got in the car. On the way there, he was telling me what shapes all the clouds looked like. He told me one looked like ice cream, one was a stinky shoe, and one looked like a gun. Also on the way to the store, he heard me singing along with my music and said he wanted to sing. So I turned the music down and let him go, and all I got was, "Batman!!!" It made me laugh so hard I almost had to pull over, and of course since he saw me laughing, he kept doing it.

Once in the store, it was the usual: walk around getting my things while he talks to anyone and everyone about anything and everything. A lady who had previously been at the deli counter and had a free sample of cheese, decided to share it with him because he was so cute. The lady at the register gave him two extra stickers because he was so polite and told me he was the nicest little boy to ever come through her line.

Sounds a little different than our normal excursions, doesn't it? The beauty of one-on-one time is it is less stressful on the parent to only worry about one child. It's also beneficial to the child since they have the parents full attention. It's a win-win situation.

The Power of Daddy

There have been multiple times in my career as a mother that I haven't been able to get the kids to do what I want them to do. I've yelled, I've cried, I've asked a million times, I've even said please. Some days they just don't want to budge. That's when I pull out my secret weapon.

This past weekend, we were at a friend's house for a barbecue. We were planning on staying late, so we decided to put the kids to sleep there. We've done it before, so we figured it wouldn't be a big deal. As bed time approached, I could see Aj was doing the "I'm going to fall asleep if I don't keep moving" thing. I figured I'd just put him to bed a few minutes early, then I'd get Caleb. Upon putting Aj in the port-a-crib, I discovered this wasn't going to work the way I thought it would. He immediately started screaming, didn't want to take his precious blankey or a cup of milk. He just wanted out. I stood outside the door, and every time he got out, I'd put him back in and tell him to stay in bed and go to sleep...to no avail. For 15 minutes I stood there, doing the dance over and over again and becoming severely frustrated. At that point, my husband brought Caleb in so I could get him ready and we switched places. I got Caleb in his jammies, he said good night and we headed to bed. He wasn't happy, but he didn't put up too much of a fight. Caleb says his prayers, and I say good night and walk out of the room. My husband says good night to both of them, and tells Aj to stay in bed and go to sleep, then shuts the door. Nothing but silence came out of the room. No crying, no whining, no getting out of bed. They listened.

At the time I had to act like I was offended that they listen to him and not me. But in all honesty, I'm so lucky to have a husband that will step in a take care of things, and children who will listen to him. Not everyone is so lucky, but I'm thankful that I am.

My Kids: The Cat Whisperers

All too common today is people dropping off unwanted pets on any random road and figuring they'll do just fine. Unfortunately, that happened to my mother-in-law, who now has a large grey and white, green-eyed tom cat that won't leave her yard. Most people would feel bad for the cat, take it in, feed it, and give it a home. Well first of all, she's not exactly a cat person. Second of all, it wouldn't let one of my nieces in the house. It hissed and growled and backed her off the front porch. Twice. None of my nieces can or will go any where near this thing. He's....grumpy.

Yesterday we were over for our weekly family dinner. I took the kids outside to play in the kiddy pool, and noticed the cat was under the glider on the porch. I didn't pet it or anything, but I pointed it out to Caleb and he pointed it out to Aj, and together they walked over to the cat. This cat, which I think I'll name "Monster" (for a few reasons), gets up from his place of rest, greets my two children, and starts soaking up all the attention he can get. Aj grabbed his tail and stepped on his tail, and this cat did nothing but rub up against their legs.

As little boys do, they started to get a little rough with poor Monster. I went over to break it up, and told them to be on their way. I pet him for a minute or two, then when back to supervising the children. He followed me and the boys around the rest of the time we were outside. When we went inside, he jumped on the railing and scaled the window sills along the porch to see what we were doing inside, the whole time whining with a low pitched meow. I'm not sure, but I think it likes us.

So either this cat is bi-polar, or my children just have a way with crazy animals.

This Is Why I Hate Dinner Time

Most nights, my children put up a fight about eating dinner. I could ask them what they want to eat and make it for them, but when I put it in front of them, they won't want it. Caleb isn't quite as bad as Aj. They both have things they like and dislike, and of course, they're the complete opposite. Caleb loves pasta, but doesn't care for meat. Aj will eat a deer steak before he'll eat macaroni and cheese. The only things they really agree on are hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Which means that every time I don't make one of those two things for dinner it goes something like this...

Daddy leaves for work around five, dinner is served shortly thereafter. We sit down to eat, and I hear, "Mommy, I can't like it." To which my reply is, "Too bad. That's what we're having. If you want dessert, you better eat what I gave you."

Most nights after a little persuasion, I can get them to eat their dinner, but last night went more like this...

Dinner was served early with hopes of going outside before we had to get baths. The kids are sitting nicely at the table, and I serve strawberry shortcake. It's a summer staple around here that can be both dinner and dessert, but we like it more as dinner. It's sweet. It's fruity. It's delicious. What child wouldn't be in their glory to have to eat that for dinner? Well, apparently mine. I tell them it's strawberry shortcake. Caleb is excited because it's cake, but can't figure out where the icing is. Aj eats all the strawberries but won't touch the shortcake. After about 15 minutes of me saying, "Guys, eat you dinner. If you want dessert you better eat your dinner." I got a little frustrated. Some people like a little milk on their shortcake, so I walked over and poured a little milk in their bowls hoping it would help. Daddy is now getting ready to leave for work, so I walk him to the door to tell him goodbye. Upon my return, I find Caleb no longer in his seat at the table, and Aj has dumped the contents of his bowl on the table, threw the bowl on the floor and was finger painting with the mess. Needless to say we did not go outside.

Here's hoping tonight goes better.

Never A Dull Moment

It's Friday, and you know what that means: grocery shopping day. I took things one and two with me today, which always makes for interesting occurrences. At least once while we're out and old lady will tell me how cute they are. More than once every time we're out Caleb will tell a stranger that he lost his Batman car. Today, he decided to do more than that.

As we walked from isle to isle, Caleb carried his precious Curious George fruit snacks. He asked to have them and I let him, partially because he asked so nicely, but mostly because they were on sale. Of course in Caleb's mind, that means everyone we pass in the store wants to know about his George snacks. Young, old, friendly, unfriendly, Caleb didn't care. They were going to know he got his snacks. There was a man who works at the store stacking some products. Caleb walks right up to him and says, "Whatcha dooooin?" (We watch too much "Phineas and Ferb") The man tells him he's working and is very nice and polite, which to Caleb means we can stand there and talk to this man for 5 minutes asking him what his favorite color is and if he likes fruit snacks.

When I finally tell Caleb it's time to keep moving, the man looks at me and says, "Having a boy ask a lot of questions is a good thing." Well I've had time to think about that more, and I have to agree. Curiosity is something that should never be looked-down upon. Children crave learning and they will do so any way they can. They should be allowed to learn through whatever means, as long as they're learning. And besides, it pretty much guarantees that trips to the grocery store will be an adventure.

It Takes Forever To Do Nothing

So for the past few hours I have been attempting to do two things: make myself look presentable, and write this blog. Making myself look presentable usually doesn't too long, maybe about 10-15 minutes. The blog doesn't usually take long either, but today my kids will not stop interrupting me long enough to get anything done. I didn't even get a cup of coffee until about 10:30. If it's not Caleb needing a drink, it's Aj's diaper change or the phone ringing. So here's what I've accomplished all day: I look presentable enough, and if you're reading this, I assume my blog is finished. I have not made the iced tea that's been sitting since last night. I have not gotten to go outside today. I haven't unloaded the dishwasher, I haven't gotten Aj out of his pajamas. So, today it's a short blog, because it's all I can get done today. In conclusion, when you have kids, it takes forever to do nothing.

All In Favor Say, "Help!"

Every mother's day, salary.com gives a figure of what they value a stay-at-home mom is worth, in other words, what she would make each year if she were getting paid. Recently, they estimated our worth at $122,732 and that was based on only 10 daily functions we perform. So they acknowledge that we're worth a lot, and that we contribute a lot to society. Yet, where are the real benefits to being a stay-at-home mom? By not working, we end up losing social security benefits later on in life, as well as disability insurance, sick days, and quite honestly, social status. I can't even get a credit card in my name because technically I'm "unemployed."

For all that we do every day, what happens if we get hurt? Or sick? What happens when we can't perform our daily functions? The only way a stay-at-home mom is allowed to get private disability insurance is if she owns a business that generates income. I don't know too many women who have businesses, so I'm guessing the majority of us are SOL.

I know a lot of people who are outraged at how stay-at-home mothers are practically punished for the decision they made. We have given up so much and we get nothing in return from society. So if you are one of the many who would like your voice to be heard, and even campaign for changes, I have found a nifty little website called momsrising.org. They have discussions, blogs, and a place where you can make your voice heard, and someone might be able to tell you what you can do to help.

It may not feel like you're doing much, but it's certainly a start.

The Candy Store Has Nothing On This

A few days ago, I had the chance to get out of the house, just me and Caleb. It doesn't happen often, so I wanted to do something fun with him. We did the not so fun stuff first and got it out of the way. After everything was finished, I took Caleb into the local pet store. It's a miracle we didn't come home with anything...

As soon as we walked in, there was a display of kittens. No matter how much you dislike cats, you have to admit, kittens are adorable. They're especially adorable when they walk right up to you and try playing with you. Luckily for my husband, I knew I'd be in serious trouble if I brought one home. Off to the next group of animals...the fish. We're talking about a kid who asks to see the goldfish every time we go to Walmart, even though they haven't had any for over a year now. Needless to say he was excited. Big fish, small fish, Nemo fish, Dory fish, we saw all of them; I'm pretty sure the whole store knew exactly what fish we were looking at too. Directly next to the fish tanks are the reptile and amphibian tanks. I was showing him the snakes that I would love to bring home. He told me the cobalt blue tarantula was awesome. I guess he had never seen a scorpion before, because when I asked him what they were, he thought they were crabs. Frogs, iguanas, monitor lizards, anoles...through the displays we went. And then...

At the end of the row, in his own multi-tier cage, there sat Tank. Tank is the biggest iguana I've ever seen in my life. He was huge! He had spikes down his spine from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. Caleb stood in awe. When I saw on the sign that his name was tank, I promptly said, "Hello, Tank." in my "mom" voice. It was like someone flipped a switch on this lizard. He started shaking his head at me, an iguanas way of showing off. He was licking at Caleb trying to catch his scent, and you could see his eyes light up. I wanted him. Again, luckily for my husband, I knew I couldn't.

Then there were the birds. Not really the peak of my interest, but Caleb is fascinated so we stopped and looked. He was eye level with two cockatiels. I'm not sure what he did, or why they didn't like him, but it became very apparent that they didn't. They both almost in unison started flapping their wings as close to the glass as they could get. I'm pretty sure when Caleb jumped, his feet left the ground, which in turn left me in hysterics. After he got scared half to death, we moved on the the small mammals. They had mice, rabbits, ferrets and a guinea pig. He thought the mice were really cool, and I didn't have the heart to tell him they were feeder mice.

Surprisingly, the puppies were the easiest ones to look at and walk away from. It could have been that there weren't any of the breeds I would want, or it could be that I just got a puppy not too long ago and I'm still disillusioned. Either way, it made it easy to look and say "Aw how cute" then leave. Once back in the car, I don't think Caleb stopped talking the whole way home about the kittens and the fish. He was one happy camper.

So I'm pretty sure from here on out, I'm changing the old saying from "like a kid in a candy store" to "like a kid in a pet store" because I'm pretty sure Caleb would pass up candy to go back to that place.

One Of Those Days

Have you ever had a day that wasn't really stressful, but was still really busy? Yeah, that was my day today. Nothing horrible occurred; I don't have any stories of the kids being crazy in public, or an earth-shattering event. It's just been....busy.

I've been all over God's creation today. I had to have blood drawn, go to the bank, run a few other errands and on top of that it seems like everything I try to do takes about ten times longer than it should. The simple act of unloading the dishwasher seemed to drag on. It could be because I was interrupted about twenty times by the kids, but still.

Sometimes, days like this are worse to me. At least when I'm really stressed I'll take a few minutes to myself and calm down. But these days I tend to just keep going, telling myself it's not that bad and to suck it up. There's nothing wrong with that. Things need to be done, and I need to keep going. But I also need to sit down, relax and take two minutes to enjoy my cup of coffee.

So there it is. No moral of the story. No here's the point of this. This is just how I feel today. So thanks for listening. :)

The Difference Between Father and Dad

What is a father for? Liberals will say they have equal responsibility in raising and taking care of the children. Conservatives will tell you they bring home the bacon and discipline the children. Feminists will tell you they're for nothing. Well aside from what the feminists say, a father can be all these things. He can provide, he can care for the children, he can discipline them. But what is he really for?

A father is someone who teaches you how to ride your bike. The one who shows you how to properly throw a football. The one who scares the crap out of you when you're five years old by letting go of the steering wheel  and telling you to drive. He's the one who almost gets thrown out of your t-ball game because the umpire made a bad call. He's the man who watches "Men in Tights" with you when your mom says you're not allowed. He lectures you because he loves you. He will always be proud of you. He will always be there for you.

So yes, a father can provide and discipline, but a real dad is the one you make memories with. That's the difference.

Screw The Energizer Bunny

As you read this, no matter when you read this, one of three things will be happening at my house. Caleb will be running around yelling, AJ will be running around yelling, or I will be running around yelling. Life with a two-year-old and a four-year-old is...well it's interesting to say the least. There's never a dull moment, no matter how much you wish for one. My only reprieve is bedtime, when the little Energizer bunnies I gave birth to finally shut off.

From about 6:00 AM, and for the whole day, my children and I play the "who is more stubborn game", along with "because I'm your mother" and "how many times do I have to tell you to..." It's broken up with mealtimes, snack times, maybe the occasional nap. However, for the most part, that's what I do. Did I mention the oldest one never stops talking? Even when he has nothing to say, he's making noise of some kind.

So why am I writing all this? Because I know it's not just my kids. Many parents out there deal with the same things day in and day out. To all of those reading this. You're not alone. For those of you wishing you had just a fraction of the energy your kids have, you're not alone. For those of you who are ready to tear out your hair, you're also not alone. Remember, patience is a virtue. And when patience runs out, there's always Valium. :)

Great Friends Think Alike

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to spend time with some great people. It was a birthday barbecue, and a lot of the people there were parents of young children. All the kids were playing together in the pool or in the playhouse, or taking turns on the big wheels truck. For the most part all the kids got along great together. Perhaps a few scuffles here and there, but that's totally normal. What was even nicer than all the kids playing together and having fun was the fact that all the parents were able to talk to each other. And better still, we all had the same ideals.

One of the most important things I can say to you if you are a parent is surround yourself with other parents who have the same values and thoughts towards parenting. An extremely relaxed mother, and a mother who can't let a sniffle go by without calling the doctor, are going to end up annoying each other eventually. However, two mothers who can let their children play a little rough, or two mothers who both feel the same way when their children exhibit signs of sickness, are going to get along, because they agree on main points of parenting styles and have a lot to talk about.

There are many experiences I have as a parent that might be embarrassing to some (like having my child escape from the house without my knowledge) but when I'm around parents who have the same experiences, we can laugh about them and learn  from them. It's nice to have validation for a certain style of parenting and there's a comfort that comes from knowing you're not alone.

John Ratzenberger said, "Find people who share your values, and you'll conquer the world together." Maybe we don't want to conquer the world, but it's nice to have all the help you can get as a parent.

It's The Little Things

My oldest son is going to Pre-K this fall. Today we got to go meet his teacher, see the classroom, and meet some of the other kids that will be in his class. Let me give you a run down of what I deal with every day. Mind you, this all occured in one hour.

We arrive at the school and he gets a sticker with his name on it, then he tells everyone standing around us that he got a sticker. Next, we must wait for his teacher to come and get the group and lead them back to his classroom. He literally can not stand still. He's touching the plants, talking to other people, and looking out the windows. I think I should have named him inertia. The teacher's aide comes out and leads us back to the room. As we walk in he sees the blocks, the tables, the chairs, the chalkboard, the whiteboard and all he says is, "Whoa." He then proceeds to touch everything. He sits at a table that has small shapes in a box and starts building towers with them and telling me the yellow octagon is a sun. Then he gets distracted by another table that has blocks off all different shapes that you can put a string through...and the string is also in the box. He pulled out every ball and pulled the string through them. When the teacher asked him what he was doing he told her he made a necklace for her. She actually wore it too. Then it was story time. All the kids sat on the floor while the teacher read. He was hesitant to sit with the kids, but he warmed up and sat down. About every 2 minutes he would look at me, smile, and give me a thumbs up. After story time, she walked them around the classroom and showed them the different stations. He cried when she said they couldn't play on the computer. It was then time to see the rest of the school. While standing in line, he sneezed and launched unpleasant material onto my pants. I'm very glad I didn't wear shorts this morning, and also I'm very glad I still had a few baby wipes in my purse. While we walk around the school, he wants to see into every room we pass, and won't stop asking what things are. That concluded the end of our time at the school. When I told him it was time to go home and tell the teacher goodbye, he started crying and told me he wanted to stay and play. It's difficult to tell a four-year-old to wait 3 months and then he'll get to play. He hugged the teacher for about three minutes before he would finally let go, and walk with me to the car. When I buckled him in, he told me school was awesome and that he loved me.

The point of going through all of that was just to say, sometimes life can be crazy. Sometimes my children embarrass me, aggravate me, and annoy. But there are these little moments, when they say or do something so minute no one else probably even noticed, but they warmed my heart. Live for the small moments in life that give you pleasure, and try to forget about the boogie on your pants.

Mother's Little Helpers

A little while ago I had a discussion with one of my dear friends. She is a stay-at-home mother of two, much like me. We were discussing how often during the day we want to scream, and how going back to work actually sounds appealing. So how do you keep from going absolutely crazy? You have to be just a wee bit selfish.

I am a woman of many vices. I don't recommend picking up new ones if you don't already have them. However, not the vice itself but the feeling you get from taking five minutes for yourself can do wonders for your mental health. One thing I can't live without is coffee. As soon as I get the kids breakfast in the morning, I go straight to the coffee pot. I probably drink three cups or so throughout the day. It might be false energy, but it keeps me going never the less. When I get my cup of coffee I don't chug it down then go back to doing what I have to do. I sit down with it, either watching TV with the kids or at the table playing around on Facebook. Even if it's only a few minutes, it's a nice little break.

I remember when I worked at a hospital, when I got home it took me awhile to relax before I could go to sleep. I know a lot of people to have to "wind down" before they go to sleep no matter what they're job is. So why should it be any different for moms? We work all day too, we need time to wind down and relax before it's our bedtime. If you are of legal age, you might try one beer or glass of wine. If you aren't old enough or you're not a drinker, try some hot chocolate or for that matter a small piece of chocolate. Give yourself a small reward for making it through the day without going crazy. Notice I say small reward. Don't go drinking a whole fifth of Jack or anything, but allow yourself to have a little moment when you think about yourself. Draw a bath, watch a movie, or read a good book. Anything for a little "you" time.

Moms may not get mental health days, but we can have our little moments.

You Might Be a Parent If...

Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard of Jeff Foxworthy's line of jokes titled, "You Might Be a Redneck." Well, I've decided there's some things that could tip you off to being a parent as well. I'd like to keep this list growing, so if you have any ideas please add them.

1. If you've ever been peed, puked, and pooped on all at the same time, you might be a parent.
2. If you've ever substituted your fingers for a tissue, you might be a parent.
3. If you find yourself singing the Elmo's World theme song while you're alone, you might be a parent.
4. If you consider a  nice dinner anything but hot dogs and macaroni and cheese, you might be a parent.
5. You might be a parent if sleeping in means any uninterrupted sleep of more than five hours.
6. If you've ever looked forward to going to the dentist just to get out of the house, you might be a parent.
7. If you've ever wondered if that's chocolate or poo on your hand so you taste it, you might be a parent. (I'd like to go on record as saying that one is not one from personal experience.)
8. You might be a parent if spit up is just another accessory to your outfit.
9. If your form of a union break is popping in a Disney movie so you can walk away to do laundry, you might be a parent.
10. If walking through your living room is more like an obstacle course due to all the toys, you might be a parent.

That's the list so far, let's keep adding and see how many we can get! Consider it your homework. :)

We Always Knew He Was Special

So for a little while now, my son had what I thought were bug bites all over him. Where we live, to say bug bites aren't uncommon is an understatement. Not getting bit by a mosquito around here is an act of God. The mosquito really should be our state bird. See why I thought he had bug bites? Well sometimes as a mother, you're going to overlook the obvious.

I gave these "bites" a reasonable amount of time to heal up and go away. The problem was, they didn't. What was once just on his face and scalp, now had traveled down his neck and onto his arms and legs. Sigh...time to call the doctor. I usually avoid the doctor at all cost. My kids have to be pretty sick for me to take them to the doctor. I like to give them every chance to heal on their own before I go pumping them full of medication. But some things are warning signs I can't ignore. When five different people ask you if your kid has chicken pox, it's time to talk to the doctor.

The reason I had never given chicken pox a second thought is like most children these days he was vaccinated for the chicken pox virus when he was just over a year old. I knew it was a possibility, but it was such a slight chance...that should have been my first clue. Well, off to the doctor we go. Mind you this kid knows exactly where we were as soon as we pulled in. I know this because he started to scream before I had even parked and screamed until the nurse left the room. This is another reason we avoid the doctor. The doc comes in and looks at him, asks me a few questions, and says, "Well thanks. Now I have to report your kid. He has chickenpox." Super.

After laughing with the doctor about it, and leaving out the back door because they asked me to, I spent a few hours on the phone with people he's been in contact with to let them know "Hey congratulations, you've been exposed to chicken pox. Hope you've had it before." It was a very long, very tiring day.

Leave it to my kid. The doctor informed me the percent of children who still get chicken pox after receiving the vaccine is about 10%. So there you go. He may be one in a million to me, but statistically he's one in 10.

Finding The Happy Medium

I joke a lot that my son has two speeds: full throttle and off. If he isn't running around acting ridiculous, he's probably asleep. Most days it's difficult to just sit and watch a movie with my kids because I can't get them to sit still long enough.

I love to go outside with the kids on nice days. We'll play for as long as I can take it before we come in and get bathed and most of the time fall asleep. Sometimes even I take a nap after that. The problem is, when I spend all that time playing around outside, I don't get anything done inside. Other days, I spend all day doing things that need to be done, and I don't get a chance to play with the kids or do something I want to do.

So where is the happy medium? How do I find a place where a four-year-olds energy can be used little at a time? How do I get to a place where things are still kept up around the house, but I don't miss time with my children? Is there such a thing as this elusive happy medium, or is everyday just another struggle to get as close as we can to it as though we were chasing a rainbow?

I suppose, all we can do is our best. Each day we have to try to make our own happy medium. Where the important tasks are accomplished, but we're not missing quality time with the kids. We can allow ourselves to get caught up in it, one way or another, or we can choose to say, "We'll go play for an hour, then I'll do what I have to do." Sometimes, things aren't going to get done, or we aren't going to get as much time with the kids as we wanted. But all we can do is our best to make sure it doesn't go too far one way or another.

"The choicest pleasures of life lie within the ring of moderation." ~ Benjamin Disraeli

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...Mom?

I think many women have this complex. We are superwoman. We take care of the kids, cook the meals, run the errands, get the groceries, clean the house, and do we need help? No. We got this. Help is nice, but unnecessary. If you need us, we're the tornado sweeping through the house, leaving in our wake not destruction, but order. Until one day...
Until the day we get sick and literally can't stand up long enough to brush our teeth, let alone clean the house. Then what's a superwoman to do? The answer is very simple. Ask for help. If you're like me, it can be difficult to ask for help when you need it. For so long you've been doing things on your own, and you've come to enjoy it. However, sometimes we need to swallow our pride and ask someone to lend a hand. Be it your significant other, a parent, or a sibling, find someone who is willing to help you. I'm sure it won't be as hard as you assume it will be. It could be even the simplest things, but you would be surprised how much one person can help you out. All you have to do is ask.
John Lennon said, "When you're drowning, you don't say, "I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me." you just scream." In other words, if you're really in a pickle, stop waiting for someone to automatically assume you need some help. Remember, you haven't needed any one's help in awhile. Instead, open your mouth and say, "Hey, I could really use some help with this." Unless the person you're talking to is a fool, he or she will probably help you.
Take the help, and when you can help someone else. It's only fair.

 

The Terrible Two's, Three's, Four's...

Everyone always talks about the terrible two's. The screaming, the temper tantrums, the disobedience- no doubt they are challenging for parents. What no one warns new parents about is that after the terrible two's, it doesn't really get any better, it just changes. Instead of fits, it's destruction. Instead of screaming, it's incessant talking. Instead of disobedience, it's disobedience. OK, well somethings don't change.

From birth on our children come with their own set of challenges for parents, and no troubleshooting guide. Each time our child hits a new milestone, and new set of challenges arises requiring parents to change their routine and discipline habits. Every situation and every child requires a new way of handling it. Some children respond well to time-outs, while other children respond to having their toys or a privilege taken away. Parents need to figure out what works for that child in that given situation. This task can be quite daunting as parents have to play the guessing game as to what their child needs.

Don't lose heart. As frustrating as it can be, if you keep working toward your goal it can be quite rewarding. The only thing constant in life is change. We can pull ourselves out to the sidelines and say, "I give up. Let the cards fall where they may." Or we can roll with the punches and take it one day at a time. Some days will be better than others, but remember the goal at hand: watching your child grow up to be a responsible and respectful adult.

How Tired is Too Tired?

Raise your hand if you're a parent and you're tired. So that's pretty much all of you? Yes, that's what I expected. Of course we're tired. Our kids wake up at stupid o'clock, keep us going non-stop all day, and wake us up in the middle of the night. Add school, grocery shopping, cleaning, work and everything else into the mix and it's amazing we are still standing. Any parent that is tired assumes they're supposed to be. And we are, to a certain extent.
A problem arises when we assume we're so tired because of the kids, when really it's a health issue that needs to be discussed with a health care professional. Just because you're a parent doesn't mean you need to let yourself go unchecked. Your health is just as important as your child's. Who would take care of them if you were so sick that you couldn't? Our co-pays and medical bills may stop us from getting things checked, but in the grand scheme of things, it's worth it to ensure our continued health, for your sake and your child's.
My advice is this: If you are more tired than normal, or if you are extremely tired and have other symptoms of sickness, call your doctor and make an appointment. You know your body better than anyone else. If you feel like something is wrong, you could be right.
Your children need you at full tilt, so make sure you stay that way.

You've Thrown Off My Groove

I don't know about everyone, but I thrive on routine. Not a schedule, a routine. I don't do the same things at the same time everyday, but I usually try to do things in the same order. I get in my little groove, and I get things done. I can't stand it, when my routine gets thrown off, and the littlest things are usually what does it. Obviously the big things like a new baby or a vacation would change things up a bit, but you would be surprised at how little things throw me off.
If you want me to be coherent in the morning, I have to have my coffee. When I go to make it, if the trash can is full and I have to change the trash bag before I can throw out the old grounds, it throws me off. It's usually those days that nothing goes right, and I have to do six things just before I can do the one thing I needed to do in the first place.
Now there's a few things I can do here: Check the trash at night and change it before I go to bed; make the coffee before I go to bed; and if something small like that happens, not let it affect my mood. The first and second things would make the third unnecessary. But my ADD and I sometimes...ok most of the time we forget. So that leaves me with the third thing.
Every day, little by little, I learn that I have control over the way I act. Some days I'm better at it than others, but I'm still learning, and I will be until the day I die. It really isn't the end of the world that my groove was thrown off, I just have to realize that.
Are there things in life that you still need to learn?

This House is Not a Zoo

The other day, I was a little tired and was comparing my house to a zoo all day. Then I decided that I needed to think positively. I decided to write down reasons that my house is NOT a zoo, and here is what I came up with:

1. A zoo is more organized.
2. Feeding time at a zoo is less chaotic.
3. When the animals get fed, they don't complain.
4. Zookeepers get paid to deal with crap.
5. A zoo is quieter.

Ok, so I think I missed the point of the exercise. What I'm trying to say is, sometimes things at home can get pretty hectic, just like they can at a regular job. If we had a career, and we had a bad day at work, how would we deal with it when we got home? Run a bath? Drink a glass of wine and read a book? Watch adult cartoons into the wee hours of the morning? Even though we don't have a "career" maybe when we have a chaotic day, we can give ourselves the same treatment as if we did. Give yourself a little "me" time and relax. And also try to do what I failed to do, think positive.

My Son: The Fisher

For weeks now, my son has been relentlessly bugging my husband and me about going fishing. The whole family fishes, so it's only natural he would want to as well. For one reason or another, we never seemed to be able to get him out there. Yesterday was a beautiful day for it. So my husband took him to a pond in the area with his little Spiderman fishing pole and showed him the ropes. It was a little while before he got any bites, but just then a large mouth bass came up and took his bait. My husband hooked it for him, then handed him the pole and he reeled it in. After that, it was game on! He ended up catching a perch and a few turtles after that. The perch he hooked and reeled in all by himself. He was so excited and so proud of himself! Needless to say, he's hooked!

One up side to my son wanting to fish is this. Fishing teaches concentration, focus and patience. All of which little boys need to learn. Secondly, it gave him one on one time with his father. These are the times memories are made of. These are the days that my son is one day going to look back on and smile, and wish he could have these days back.

Life can be busy. I challenge every parent to gauge what is really important. Yes, the lawn needs to be mowed today, but what a beautiful day to make some memories with my kid. The lawn will be waiting tomorrow. Leaving good memories for our children is one of the greatest gifts we can give them.

And The Mother of the Year Award Goes To...

I think almost every mother has had one of these moments. That moment when you think to yourself, "I am a really, really horrible mother." Usually, it's something we've forgotten to do, or something our children have done without our knowing. Forgetting to pack diapers, the child escaping from the house, finding him playing with a dangerous object, these can all quickly bring a mother to her knees. Despite our diligence, some children just have a way of finding the things that can land them in the hospital.

The question is, is it really our fault? Don't get me wrong, some things can definitely be avoided, and there's no excuse for them. But these accidents and moments of forgetfulness, can they be avoided? We spend the majority of our waking hours ensuring the safety and well being of our children, yet somehow one little thing can spoil all our preparations. Should we try our hardest to ensure they don't? Yes. Should we feel guilty when they do? NO! Things happen. Children get hurt. They must learn from experience, just as we must. Take every thing that happens and learn from it, but don't allow things that are out of your control to worry you to death. And just remember, no one is perfect.

What A Girl Wants...For Mother's Day

I'll admit it. Women are difficult to understand. Trying to figure out what we really want can be frustrating. Well, here's a little hint as to what every woman wants for Mother's Day.

First and foremost, we want to know the things we do are appreciated. A simple "Thank You" along with a small gesture (i.e. flowers, candy, a card) can really go a long way. It's nice to know you're thinking of us.

This next one is going to sound terrible. The whole reason we became mothers was to raise our children and love them every day of our lives. However, we don't really ever get any time off. So for Mother's Day, we want to not be mothers. I know, we're always mothers, we always will be. But just for this day, we would like to not really have to do much. Take care of the kids, take them out to play so we have time to read a book, take a nap, or maybe even get an uninterupted shower. It's simple. It's free. It's great for a mother's spirit.

Every mother loves to receive gifts her children have made for her. It doesn't matter how horrible it actually looks. We know we didn't give birth to Da Vinci, but it's still nice to have our little one come up to us with a gift he's so proud of. Even a little flower he picked outside means the world to us. And guys, just for the record, dirty diapers do not count as "little presents". Ever.

So there's the basics. Obviously we aren't going to turn down a piece of jewelry or a new puppy. But these are the simple and mostly free things every guy can do that make our Mother's Day wonderful.

Moms, we are the most important (and underpaid) workers on the planet. We do an excellent job every day of our lives. Hopefully this day can renew our energy and keep us going another year! Happy Mother's Day!

No One Puts Baby In The Corner...Or Do They?

The "Terrible Twos"...completely understated. My children have drawn me to tears with their relentless whining, disobeying and pushing of buttons. I'm a firm believer in spankings. Love it or hate it, it's the way I was raised and I've seen it work. Spare the rod, spoil the child. However, my youngest is, uh....special. He's a tank with a head of granite and a rear end made of concrete. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, but spankings actually don't work for this kid. The last few days have been awful. He got to the point where he wouldn't even acknowledge I was calling him. Completely ignored me. My breaking point and I were about to become very close friends.

Then, one magical moment occurred. We realized he hates the corner. A friend of ours was watching the boys for a few minutes so I could get my car inspected. While I was away, my youngest pushed his buttons too, and then he got sent to the corner. Standing inches away from the wall, not allowed to look behind him, talk, sit down, or touch the wall, we learned the way that boy needs to be punished.

He might still be disobeying, but he's being punished, I'm not yelling and screaming, and once his punishment is over, he does what I tell him too. He tried to refuse his dinner last night, and after just three minutes in the corner, came back to his seat and ate his whole plate. That's what I call progress.

The point here is be flexible. If a certain punishment isn't working, try something different. Let someone else give you advice. Many times we're so close to the situation (and thankfully not the one from The Jersey Shore) that we can't see the right answer even if it's in front of our face. Albert Einstein said, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." It's the same for parenting as well.

Instead of breaking, perhaps we should just bend.

My Son Peed On Jimmy Rollins.

OK, well maybe he didn't really pee on Jimmy Rollins, but still. We went to a birthday party on Saturday for a three-year-old girl. It was a nice day and all the kids were playing outside while all the parents stood around and talked. Typical birthday party stuff. Right?

Now my oldest son was very difficult to potty train. Even today, he can be a pest about not wanting to stop playing to go potty. So while we are outside playing, and since we live in the country, I let him pee outside. That way he doesn't have to stop playing for very long, but he doesn't have to hold it forever. Unfortunately for me, he thinks no matter where we are, as long as we're outside he can pee. I bet you can see where this is going...

When we arrived at the party, he jumped in and started playing with the other kids right away. Our younger son took awhile to warm up to the idea, but eventually with a little encouragement, followed his big brother and started playing. Awhile passed with no serious issues. Then I hear one of our friends yelling my name, and as a parent, that's never good. I go over to see what the problem is, and she informs me that my oldest son started to pee, and that my youngest son (who was wearing a Jimmy Rollins t-shirt) wasn't paying attention, and walked right into it. Thankfully the poor kid had two shirts and I was able to take off the Rollins shirt and just leave his undershirt.

Part of me was really embarrassed when it happened, but then I noticed that everyone was laughing. They weren't laughing at me, they were laughing because it was funny! Once I realized that and started laughing along with everyone, I felt a lot better about it. There's a lesson that not only parents, but everyone can learn and try to apply to their life. There are times when you feel like you just want to curl up and die, but it's not always as bad as you think. William Arthur Ward said, "To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity."

I hope everyone can find a reason to laugh today!

And This Is Why I Hate Fridays...

I could end this blog with one sentence and parents of small children everywhere would understand. Fridays are grocery shopping days. I abhor taking my kids to the store with me. They do nothing but whine at me, and tell me everything they "need". All it takes is one hour in the store and my patience tank is running on fumes. Having traversed the dreaded Walmart with my youngest throwing his Blankey and my oldest wanting everything, talking to everyone and getting his foot run over by the shopping cart, we make it to the parking lot. It's not a long walk to the car, but in that short period of time, one of the kids lost his shoe and we almost got run over by some bimbo in a big truck. Once in the car with the kids and groceries loaded, I feel a slight sense of relief. Radio comes on, and I drown out the sound of the whiny kids with Bon Jovi and INXS. Once home, the job is nearly finished. All I have to do is get the kids and groceries in the house. I get my oldest out of the car and send him in the house. While I'm getting the youngest out of his car seat, my oldest lets the dog out. I make a mad dash for him, and grab him by the collar. As a start walking him into the house, my youngest follows and I assume he'll join us at the door....that is until he falls down the stairs. Crap. Dog goes in the house, I go get the kid (who is fine, just scared) and head inside. Once I get the kids settled, then I go back outside and make the 50 trips it takes to get the groceries. So in conclusion, it takes me two and a half hours, an eighth of a tank of gas, bruised and battered kids, all of my patience, and more money than I care to spend, but hey, at least we can eat now.


Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

The Difference Between Babies and Puppies

I've said it many times before, a puppy and a baby are almost the same thing, except puppies don't grow up to talk back to you. Well the rest of what I'm going to say, some people may not like, because I think parents could learn a thing or two from The Dog Whisperer, and no I'm not joking. Now before anyone calls Child Services on me, hear me out.

• Establish dominance- Now that sounds weird when you're talking about kids, but it's also incredibly necessary. If the parent does not establish dominance and control, you get the kids from those "Nanny 911" shows, and really, who wants a kid like that?
• Be consistent about the rules- I've said this one before too. If you let your dog up on the couch one time, it's going to think it's OK every other time. If there's something you don't want your child to do, don't cave in and make an exception "Just this one time" because after that, they're going to do it again and again.
• Discipline and praise- Make it a point to correct bad behavior every time, but also make sure you encourage good behavior by praising and rewarding them when they do something right. Even a simple hug or high-five can go a long way with a child.
• Exercise- As it is for a dog, so it is for my boys at least. The more they play and run around and burn off excess energy, the better behaved they are and the more eager they are to listen. Even allowing your children time to run around the living room going completely nuts can help. You don't have to go outside or take them for walks or run on a treadmill, just let them play.

I'm not saying go out and buy a crate and roll up a newspaper, but there are some similarities in the way we train our dogs and our children. Proverbs says, "Train up a child in the way he should go..." That's exactly what parents should be doing. We know how we want our dogs to act, so we train them to act that way. How do we want our kids to act, and shouldn't we be training them to be that way?

Something to think about....

Things You'll Only Do For Your Kids

I was thinking over this weekend, there's a lot of things I do for my kids that I wouldn't do for anyone else. Here's just a few things I've thought of:

1. Endure 10 months of misery only to have it end in a completely humiliating and undignified way. The only other time you'd do this, is if you're in a bad marriage.
2. Watch annoying shows on TV all day long. The only other way you'd do this is.........if you're in a bad marriage.
3. Pull over while driving so they can pee. I hope no matter how bad your marriage is that your spouse can hold it until they get home.
4. Register them for school. I know this one sounds silly, but if it weren't for my kids I would never want to deal with this process. It's ridiculous!
5. Give up your life. I don't mean die for your children, I mean give up your life. It's difficult to get out and have a life of your own after you have kids. But it's totally worth it.

If there's any you'd like to add to the list, feel free to comment. Happy Monday!!

What Parents Can Learn From John Lennon

Sunday was a very lazy day for me. There was nothing pressing I had to get done; nothing terribly important I needed to do. I ended up on the couch with the kids watching Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and occasionally the backs of my eyelids. At around 12:30 when I decided I probably should do something, I felt like I had wasted the day just sitting on the couch. The dishwasher still needed to be unloaded, laundry changed over and put away, and I still hadn't had coffee. Chalk one up for the lazy mom, right? Wrong.

John Lennon said, "Time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time." It may seem that way at first. With everything that needs to be done around the house, it's difficult to justify a little time to do nothing. When you think about it though, I was spending time snuggling on the couch with my boys, which isn't going to happen for much longer. How important is the laundry? The dishes? They're still going to be there when I get around to them. Yes, they need to be done but more important is spending time with my kids. Life is short, and I'm not guaranteed another minute with them. Let's all make it a point to enjoy the time we have.

Thanks to my Dad for the inspiration.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Have you ever had a moment when your children have left you speechless? I'm talking physically unable to form a sentence because you have NO clue what to say? I had one of those moments Friday afternoon. I had the rare treat of taking only one of my kids grocery shopping. Now, shopping with my four year old is somewhere between taking a bull into a china shop and a monkey into a banana store. This kid touches everything and talks to everyone. He tells them his name, why we're there, his brothers name, and then asks them their favorite color. To understate it, he's friendly. On this occasion, there was an older lady at the opposite end of the isle from us, and by older I mean she cried when the dinosaurs died. He walks right up to her, and being the polite child that I thought I had taught him to be, says, "Excuse me!" She turns around, her eyes light up, and in her frail voice replies, "Well hello sweetheart! How are you today?" What he said next, I suppose I should have been expecting, but I wasn't. He looks right at her and with every ounce of sweet he has in his body says, "You're in our way." What do you say to that?! As graciously as I could I admonished him and apologized to her. Luckily for me, she was gracious and understanding. She must have had a four year old before. Add this to the list of things no one ever teaches you how to deal with.

Pearls of Wisdom

A first grade teacher had given her class a list of partially completed proverbs and asked them to fill in the missing parts. It's truly amazing what some kids will come up with in a pinch...

• Better to be safe than punch a 5th grader.
• Strike while the bug is close.
• It's always darkest before Daylight Savings Time.
• Never underestimate the power of termites.
• You can lead a horse to water, but how?
• Don't bite the hand that looks dirty.
• A miss is as good as a Mr.
• You can't teach an old dog new math.
• If you lie down with dogs, you'll stink in the morning.
• The pen is mightier than the pigs.
• An idle mind is the best way to relax.
• Where there's smoke, there's pollution.
• Happy the bride who gets all the presents.
• A penny saved is not much.
• Two's company, three's the musketeers.
• None are so blind as Stevie Wonder.
• You get out of something what you see pictured on the box.
•  Better late than pregnant.

Have a great weekend!!