I wanted it to be known that we live in a religious household. I'm not going to preach on here, but I'm sure those who know would agree that oftentimes the religion, or moral values you have will guide how you parent. For us, it's a very present aspect of our lives. Today is our day to go to church. For those who regularly attend church, it's such a different experience without and then with kids. Now, we're lucky if we're able to listen and obtain any sparkle of inspiration or anything while juggling the two kids and keeping them happily, quietly, occupied.
Nonetheless, we want to teach our kids to attend church, and so we, like many, haul them to church every Sunday. (along with a backpack of toys for each kid, which some of them rarely touch, which can be slightly frustrating since you will inevitably be the one to haul it around the whole time.)
Every now and then, as your kids get a bit older, they do something to reaffirm what you're doing. Today we had one of those moments. As we were driving to a dinner date at a friend's house, Moose says something along the lines of "Jesus made everything." So I egg him on to tell me what exactly he made. For a good 5 minutes on the way to our friend's place, Moose named everything he could think of (or anything he saw on the way): lights, gates, doors, construction machines, sky, cranes, trucks, buildings, apartments, and on and on. After a while it was a bit obnxious, because he wasn't listing this quietly. However, it made me smile inside that he remembers these little things independently and chooses to share them at random times of the day.
The teaching of children is a tough endeavor, no matter what the subject. But you can't help but smile inside when they remember something you've tried to teach them that's really important to you. We want to give our kids a good moral compass. We just want them to be good people. So it makes me happy when you can see bits and pieces of it. It gives me the boost I need to keep trudging along in this teaching effort. Because you'll learn that for every 100 efforts you go through to teach your children something, they might remember 1, or 2, or maybe 5. Depends on the kid and the subject. But everytime they remember, they actually learn what you're teaching, it gives you the strength, energy, desire, to keep on trying to teach them more.
Sunday, February 28
Saturday, February 27
You are what you eat...
Or in parenting, your kids are what you feed them. I was talking with my hubs about our diet (not as in a diet, but as in what we eat) and was remarking how pleased I am with how it's changed over the last year. We eat way more vegetables and fresh fruit, and I am pleased with how we're teaching our gems to eat well. Tonight for dinner, we made a what's in the fridge soup, with chicken, hot dogs (I know, weird, right? But the soup was good.) mushrooms, corn, green chiles, broccoli, celery, garlic, and minced onions, plus some seasoning. Anyway, we made this random soup and we were pretty pleased with ourselves. We used a white bean chili recipe we got from my hub's brother. Anyway, in the original recipe there are beans, but we chose to leave them out.
The point to all of this babble is that as we were prepping Moose for what dinner was and had told him at least twice what was in the soup, he says "I want beans in my soup. I like beans in my soup."
My kid wanted to eat beans. I must be doing something right.
The point to all of this babble is that as we were prepping Moose for what dinner was and had told him at least twice what was in the soup, he says "I want beans in my soup. I like beans in my soup."
My kid wanted to eat beans. I must be doing something right.
Looking back...
So I got to see some more old videos of Moose when he was just a youngin' (around 1 year old) and boy was it strange to see. I don't see much of who he is now, but I see more of Monkey (same age area, maybe that's why.) It's so nice to look at how little they were, how far they've come. What a blast.
It's also nice to see how far I've come as a parent. I still have so far to go, but I must occasionally pat myself on the back. I've come a long ways.
Now vs. Then (When Moose was born)
Now, I only have a PJ day like once a month (if that, and usually due to sickness with me or kids, or a day when I have to finish a book)
Then, I was lucky to get dressed pretty much every day
Now, I cook meals every day, my kids eat a balanced diet, and I am getting a lot closer to balanced as well.
Then, well, baby food is pretty simple to keep a balanced diet for kids, but cooking was a low priority, and a balanced diet was even lower.
A few of the stark differences. I still have a lot of changes I would like to make to myself, personally, as a parent, as a spouse, as an individual. Lots of changes to be made. But, I'm so happy with how far I've come, and that I'm bringing my gems with me. Me and my hubs have been through a good amount of stuff (nothing big, but moving, and lots of educating) but I am so happy with where we are as a family. It may not make every day easier, but every now and then, when I take a moment, it makes me feel really good.
Lesson to be learned: take time to reflect and relish in your accomplishments, in how far you've come. Don't dwell on any negatives. Just learn the lessons you need and feel good about what you've done. If you have a hard time thinking of good things, ask your spouse or a good family member/friend. After a while, you'll be able to do it yourself. :)
It's also nice to see how far I've come as a parent. I still have so far to go, but I must occasionally pat myself on the back. I've come a long ways.
Now vs. Then (When Moose was born)
Now, I only have a PJ day like once a month (if that, and usually due to sickness with me or kids, or a day when I have to finish a book)
Then, I was lucky to get dressed pretty much every day
Now, I cook meals every day, my kids eat a balanced diet, and I am getting a lot closer to balanced as well.
Then, well, baby food is pretty simple to keep a balanced diet for kids, but cooking was a low priority, and a balanced diet was even lower.
A few of the stark differences. I still have a lot of changes I would like to make to myself, personally, as a parent, as a spouse, as an individual. Lots of changes to be made. But, I'm so happy with how far I've come, and that I'm bringing my gems with me. Me and my hubs have been through a good amount of stuff (nothing big, but moving, and lots of educating) but I am so happy with where we are as a family. It may not make every day easier, but every now and then, when I take a moment, it makes me feel really good.
Lesson to be learned: take time to reflect and relish in your accomplishments, in how far you've come. Don't dwell on any negatives. Just learn the lessons you need and feel good about what you've done. If you have a hard time thinking of good things, ask your spouse or a good family member/friend. After a while, you'll be able to do it yourself. :)
Friday, February 26
Happy Birthday Mama...
Okay, my child has yet to say that to me. Today isn't really my birthday either. It's technically in 2 years. (Technicalities of being born on leap year.) Anyway, today we celebrated my birthday with the fam. As part of our relaxing and whatnot, we watched some old videos the in-laws had. There were some with my little Moose when we first moved near the hub's family. He was only 1 at the time. It was so strange to see him and how little he was (while still being absolutely gigantic for a 1 year old. Hence the nickname Moose.) Despite the fact that I have a 10 month old baby girl, it still made me crave a baby boy. Not really. But it made me nostalgic anyway.
A good friend of mine is pregnant with her first baby. What advice do I have for her? Holy cow. Books worth. How much of it will she remember and be able to use? Maybe a handful. And most of it, as hard as you try, you can't really apply because when you're in the throws of your first pregnancy, first delivery, first child, you HAVE to learn that stuff for yourself. No amount of book read or advice can do it for you. Especially since there's no way to know what the temperament of your child will be. I suppose there's a good start as far as advice goes.
Here's my experience:
I assumed my first child would be really mellow. My husband and I are pretty mellow. I wasn't as a youth, but as an adult, I'm pretty darn chill. We keep to ourselves, we are people pleasers, we avoid struggle, we are neutral types. So we assumed, our little boy would be a real laid back kid. WRONG. I still think it's a combination of being completely unsure of what to do, mixed with a tiny apartment, being in a new area with only one lifeline (bless my sister's heart for always carting us over to her house) and only one car which the hubs used for work, etc, etc. Moose was quite the monstrous boy. It took us 4 months to find the real happy kid in him. We also happened to move in with my parents at that point. Anyway, he was not the best napper, a love/hate sleeper (he'd do like 5-7 hours, then be up every hour on the hour after that) nursing was a total bust (a whole other post right there) and I was a really, super, frazzled first time mom. (In defense of little Moose, he was the best 2 year old I could have asked for. SUPERB.)
Switch to baby #2. Little monkey was a dream baby. She slept constantly. (Moose was an unusually alert baby and did NOT sleep all the time like other newborns I've known.) I was determined to make nursing work out, it did. I was determined to have a good birthing experience (Moose was an emergency C-section. Horrible experience. Like 2 other posts.), and I did. Again, to defend Moose, he was an amazing big bro, never jealous, totally not surprised by her or her birth, or any of that. (Granted, he was 3 months shy of 3) Monkey was the mellow baby we thought we would have the first time. (But good thing she was, because now the hubs is actually willing to have more. Had we had another Moose-baby, we might've been done at 2.)
Anyway, the point of those random comparisons is that you have no idea what your baby will be like, so preparing is like stabbing in the dark. So in the end, you have to prepare for anything, which can give you a real overload of information.
So, my advice for all this? Find a few trusted book sources, a few parents you think are doing an okay job and you would ask questions on parenting and stick with that. Definitely research and try to have a full tool belt, but there's only so much you can do. With a first pregnancy, it's a one-in-a-lifetime experience. There's no way to sidestep the anxiety, excitement, worry, uncertainty and all that comes with it. Just know that if you choose to have more, those pregnancies will be completely different. (And in my case, the second was much less stressful and was more worry-free. It's one of those things where once you've been there once, hindsight is SO much clearer and it's just a lot easier.)
I don't know how helpful any of this is (like I've mentioned before, sometimes I don't think I'm any good for giving advice.) But like a stubborn little mule, I'm going to keep trying anyway. It's just one of those unexpected characteristics I was born with that my parents had no say in. Don't worry, your kids will all have them too.
A good friend of mine is pregnant with her first baby. What advice do I have for her? Holy cow. Books worth. How much of it will she remember and be able to use? Maybe a handful. And most of it, as hard as you try, you can't really apply because when you're in the throws of your first pregnancy, first delivery, first child, you HAVE to learn that stuff for yourself. No amount of book read or advice can do it for you. Especially since there's no way to know what the temperament of your child will be. I suppose there's a good start as far as advice goes.
Here's my experience:
I assumed my first child would be really mellow. My husband and I are pretty mellow. I wasn't as a youth, but as an adult, I'm pretty darn chill. We keep to ourselves, we are people pleasers, we avoid struggle, we are neutral types. So we assumed, our little boy would be a real laid back kid. WRONG. I still think it's a combination of being completely unsure of what to do, mixed with a tiny apartment, being in a new area with only one lifeline (bless my sister's heart for always carting us over to her house) and only one car which the hubs used for work, etc, etc. Moose was quite the monstrous boy. It took us 4 months to find the real happy kid in him. We also happened to move in with my parents at that point. Anyway, he was not the best napper, a love/hate sleeper (he'd do like 5-7 hours, then be up every hour on the hour after that) nursing was a total bust (a whole other post right there) and I was a really, super, frazzled first time mom. (In defense of little Moose, he was the best 2 year old I could have asked for. SUPERB.)
Switch to baby #2. Little monkey was a dream baby. She slept constantly. (Moose was an unusually alert baby and did NOT sleep all the time like other newborns I've known.) I was determined to make nursing work out, it did. I was determined to have a good birthing experience (Moose was an emergency C-section. Horrible experience. Like 2 other posts.), and I did. Again, to defend Moose, he was an amazing big bro, never jealous, totally not surprised by her or her birth, or any of that. (Granted, he was 3 months shy of 3) Monkey was the mellow baby we thought we would have the first time. (But good thing she was, because now the hubs is actually willing to have more. Had we had another Moose-baby, we might've been done at 2.)
Anyway, the point of those random comparisons is that you have no idea what your baby will be like, so preparing is like stabbing in the dark. So in the end, you have to prepare for anything, which can give you a real overload of information.
So, my advice for all this? Find a few trusted book sources, a few parents you think are doing an okay job and you would ask questions on parenting and stick with that. Definitely research and try to have a full tool belt, but there's only so much you can do. With a first pregnancy, it's a one-in-a-lifetime experience. There's no way to sidestep the anxiety, excitement, worry, uncertainty and all that comes with it. Just know that if you choose to have more, those pregnancies will be completely different. (And in my case, the second was much less stressful and was more worry-free. It's one of those things where once you've been there once, hindsight is SO much clearer and it's just a lot easier.)
I don't know how helpful any of this is (like I've mentioned before, sometimes I don't think I'm any good for giving advice.) But like a stubborn little mule, I'm going to keep trying anyway. It's just one of those unexpected characteristics I was born with that my parents had no say in. Don't worry, your kids will all have them too.
Wednesday, February 24
Parenting advice...
Today was a good day. Not amazing, or great (mainly because my hubs had to be at work til 7) but it was good. For some reason when I know he's going to be gone that much later than usual, I shut down into minimum energy mode. I read a book most of the day while sporadically playing with the gems and letting Moose watch a bit more tv than usual. Not real tv. We only get two channels. But DVDs anyway. So I played single-parent for most of the day. The only difference was I was just hanging on until he got home. People who really have to do it alone all the time don't have that to look forward to. Again, you parents amaze me.
My interesting parenting moment from today came at a small playgroup. One of the moms was asking for potty training advice. I have learned that while some advice can be helpful, give ideas, broaden your though horizons, that sort of thing, most of the times your personal advice from what you did with your own kids is completely useless. (After writing this post, I realize that this is a bit strong. It's not useless. I just felt a bit useless today. That's all. Disregard the slightly negative tone for the rest of this paragraph.) Now, I know many of you parents who love to share advice may strongly disagree with me. I know that sometimes it is totally helpful. Especially if someone is non-read up, hasn't seeked for many answers on their own, that sort of thing. But otherwise, advice really doesn't help. This doesn't apply for all advice. Like what to do when your kids are sick, or fun things to do with them. But mostly with discipline, how to get kids to eat, potty training, stuff like that. I'm just learning that kids are all SO different. Beyond that, the way we parent and approach our kids about things is SO different. It's practically impossible to apply specific techniques from one kid to another. There are so many factors. Now, as I write this I realize that there are tons of parental advice that works across the board. There are tons of people who share it because it helps and has worked. I guess I just realized today that none of my advice helps anyone. Our kids are different. My kid potty trained in like 4 days. He's never wet the bed and never had trouble pooping in the potty. (From what I've heard, it can be a big problem) Moose gave up his pacifier without a struggle. He eats what I cook. There are just some struggles I'm not helpful with. My advice is totally useless. Maybe this is just me. I guess I'm just assuming that there are other people out there who have realized that what they did with their kids is not helpful for other people's kids.
Now, I don't share this is any way to discourage sharing parenting advice, tips, strategies, etc. It's helpful and often therapeutic to talk about this stuff. It's just a lesson I've learned that there are no set rules, no fail-safe strategies. Kids are all different. Parents are all different. In the end, you go with your gut. And if it doesn't work, or it sadly turns out that your parenting techniques stink, you make your bed and you sleep in it. Or more specifically, you raise you kids and have to live with them.
For a final thought, I do strongly advocate reading books on parenting, child development, anything to help understand children better, and give you tools. Each kid requires different tools, so you really need all the help you can get.
Here's to a full tool box. :)
My interesting parenting moment from today came at a small playgroup. One of the moms was asking for potty training advice. I have learned that while some advice can be helpful, give ideas, broaden your though horizons, that sort of thing, most of the times your personal advice from what you did with your own kids is completely useless. (After writing this post, I realize that this is a bit strong. It's not useless. I just felt a bit useless today. That's all. Disregard the slightly negative tone for the rest of this paragraph.) Now, I know many of you parents who love to share advice may strongly disagree with me. I know that sometimes it is totally helpful. Especially if someone is non-read up, hasn't seeked for many answers on their own, that sort of thing. But otherwise, advice really doesn't help. This doesn't apply for all advice. Like what to do when your kids are sick, or fun things to do with them. But mostly with discipline, how to get kids to eat, potty training, stuff like that. I'm just learning that kids are all SO different. Beyond that, the way we parent and approach our kids about things is SO different. It's practically impossible to apply specific techniques from one kid to another. There are so many factors. Now, as I write this I realize that there are tons of parental advice that works across the board. There are tons of people who share it because it helps and has worked. I guess I just realized today that none of my advice helps anyone. Our kids are different. My kid potty trained in like 4 days. He's never wet the bed and never had trouble pooping in the potty. (From what I've heard, it can be a big problem) Moose gave up his pacifier without a struggle. He eats what I cook. There are just some struggles I'm not helpful with. My advice is totally useless. Maybe this is just me. I guess I'm just assuming that there are other people out there who have realized that what they did with their kids is not helpful for other people's kids.
Now, I don't share this is any way to discourage sharing parenting advice, tips, strategies, etc. It's helpful and often therapeutic to talk about this stuff. It's just a lesson I've learned that there are no set rules, no fail-safe strategies. Kids are all different. Parents are all different. In the end, you go with your gut. And if it doesn't work, or it sadly turns out that your parenting techniques stink, you make your bed and you sleep in it. Or more specifically, you raise you kids and have to live with them.
For a final thought, I do strongly advocate reading books on parenting, child development, anything to help understand children better, and give you tools. Each kid requires different tools, so you really need all the help you can get.
Here's to a full tool box. :)
There goes that goal...
I suppose I should know that goals in the parenting-world should always be expendable. I wanted to post every day for 1 year on the life of a parent. I missed a day. Welcome to the life of parenting.
Well, this is going to be for yesterday. Compared to the monstrous day before, yesterday was fantastic. Even if the day before had been pretty good, yesterday was still great. It consisted of no yelling/spanking/time outs. We all went to storytime with pretty relative success. (Moose actually sat with the kids and actually listened to the books they were reading.) Both kids took a nap, together. Need I say more? Good day. And then we succeeded with a good dinner, kids down at 7, and two episodes of Lost for me and hubs. Woowee! I was in such a happy fog, I see now why I forgot to post. I wasn't brooding over any parenting issues/kid struggles. At the time there was nothing nagging me to write about. A good thing, I suppose.
I light of such a nice day with the gems, here's a funny moment to share. When kids get a little bit older, the vocab starts to build, they start to do some darn funny things. Here's one of Moose's:
As we are driving home from the library, he announces (slightly panicked) "I gotta go pee!" We live pretty darn close to the library, so I'm hollering over my seat "Hold it!" In an effort to help him forget his need to pee, I tell him to sing songs. Something we've done before with success. (He's never peed in the car, and I don't want to start now.) So he starts singing "You are my sunshine", one of his favorites. However, his version has a little spin on it. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when pee stays in."
Aren't kids great?
Well, this is going to be for yesterday. Compared to the monstrous day before, yesterday was fantastic. Even if the day before had been pretty good, yesterday was still great. It consisted of no yelling/spanking/time outs. We all went to storytime with pretty relative success. (Moose actually sat with the kids and actually listened to the books they were reading.) Both kids took a nap, together. Need I say more? Good day. And then we succeeded with a good dinner, kids down at 7, and two episodes of Lost for me and hubs. Woowee! I was in such a happy fog, I see now why I forgot to post. I wasn't brooding over any parenting issues/kid struggles. At the time there was nothing nagging me to write about. A good thing, I suppose.
I light of such a nice day with the gems, here's a funny moment to share. When kids get a little bit older, the vocab starts to build, they start to do some darn funny things. Here's one of Moose's:
As we are driving home from the library, he announces (slightly panicked) "I gotta go pee!" We live pretty darn close to the library, so I'm hollering over my seat "Hold it!" In an effort to help him forget his need to pee, I tell him to sing songs. Something we've done before with success. (He's never peed in the car, and I don't want to start now.) So he starts singing "You are my sunshine", one of his favorites. However, his version has a little spin on it. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when pee stays in."
Aren't kids great?
Monday, February 22
When kids are quiet...
It's like parenting rule #1 (or at least in the top 5) that when kids are quiet, they are undoubtedly getting into trouble. Okay, 99% of the time. I've had a few in our 3 1/2 years of parenting when Moose has been quietly looking at books, or pushing around his cars. So today, my "too quiet" moment wasn't noticed until well after the damage had been done. Monkey had been playing in the bathroom. We have long since taken toilet paper off the rolls, put the trash cans on the backs of the toilets, etc. They were officially Monkey-proof. I say were because she's apparently tall enough now to reach the tops of the counters. So anything along the edge is fair game for her. Today, that was a roll of toilet paper. I went in who knows how long after she had been in there to find the toilet paper had been gnawed all over, and a reasonably small amount (considering what could've been done) was unrolled on the floor, equally chewed upon. I do somewhat thank my lucky stars she didn't have a go at the entire roll. It's wasn't a new one, but had a good amount on it. However, I blame the luck on cotton mouth. You can only chew on so much toilet paper before your mouth gets a bit dry.
As for the rest of the day, well, it was pretty horrible. These do happen from time to time. Unfortunately for me, my hubs also had a rough day at work, so by the time he got home we were both spent, and had a good 1 1/2 hours of feeding, PJ-ing and putting to bed to do.
My two insights from today. Okay, maybe 3. There was a lot going on. First is, discipline is such a rough issue. I used to be determined that I wouldn't be a spanking parent. Well, once you let that cat out of the bag, it's really hard to put back in. I still don't like the concept of spanking (outside of some instances where a nice swat can grab your kids attention before walking onto a busy highway type of thing.) Anyway, discipline is such a sticky issue. Every family is different, and every child in that family is different. You really have to find what style works best for each and every kid. What a lot of work! Ugh. Anyhow, Moose and I butt heads a bit today. It was miserable. Once a day starts out that way, it's so hard to turn it around sometimes. After my inspirational post last night about recognizing how my attitude affects my kids, I totally had a grouch-fest today. Grr. I'm sure tomorrow will be better.
Another lesson from today is that I have complete and utter respect and admiration for single parents. Me and my hubs were just dragging our feet to get to bedtime for our two tonight. We both had rough days (mine including a really nasty steam burn from the rice cooker, partially thanks to Monkey who insisted on being held, which led to me opening the cooker with the left hand, which I never do, and totally burning myself with steam. Arg.) but thankfully, we have each other to lean on. What a relief. There are so many reasons why parents are out there doing it along, be it death, divorce, armed forces, or even a really rough work schedule between two parents. I know two of my sisters must feel like single parents half the time. Their husbands work tons, and one also works and her schedule usually fills in the gaps her hubbies doesn't. So when they're home, they're like single parents. Crazy! I always say that I'm too needy to have my hubs gone much. I do believe that's true. But I still feel totally greedy and selfish sometimes that I have him when so many people do it alone all the time. You deserve a parenting award. All of you.
And to end this insane day full of, well, insanity, I leave you with something to get you through to tomorrow morning. Every night before we go to bed, we always check on the kids. It's not something we've always done, but started doing a while back. If you've never watched them, give it a try. Sleeping children (I'm sure there are exceptions. Luckily mine aren't.) are angels. Sometimes they're funny angels, but they're angels. I've always said that looking so sweet while they sleep is my kid's greatest redeeming quality. No matter how horrible the day was, I will go in at night and make sure they're not sleeping in a position that will drain all the blood from any appendages and usually sigh at how sweet they look. That last glimpse of my gems can sometimes erase all the negative and horrible things that happened that day. It helps me sleep at night and wake up somewhat refreshed and possibly rejuvenated for the next day. If you ever need a boost before going to sleep, take a peek at your sleeping kids. Or if you don't have any, ask someone else if you can peek at theirs. ;)
Too bad adorable sleeping kids won't take away my nasty burn... :)
As for the rest of the day, well, it was pretty horrible. These do happen from time to time. Unfortunately for me, my hubs also had a rough day at work, so by the time he got home we were both spent, and had a good 1 1/2 hours of feeding, PJ-ing and putting to bed to do.
My two insights from today. Okay, maybe 3. There was a lot going on. First is, discipline is such a rough issue. I used to be determined that I wouldn't be a spanking parent. Well, once you let that cat out of the bag, it's really hard to put back in. I still don't like the concept of spanking (outside of some instances where a nice swat can grab your kids attention before walking onto a busy highway type of thing.) Anyway, discipline is such a sticky issue. Every family is different, and every child in that family is different. You really have to find what style works best for each and every kid. What a lot of work! Ugh. Anyhow, Moose and I butt heads a bit today. It was miserable. Once a day starts out that way, it's so hard to turn it around sometimes. After my inspirational post last night about recognizing how my attitude affects my kids, I totally had a grouch-fest today. Grr. I'm sure tomorrow will be better.
Another lesson from today is that I have complete and utter respect and admiration for single parents. Me and my hubs were just dragging our feet to get to bedtime for our two tonight. We both had rough days (mine including a really nasty steam burn from the rice cooker, partially thanks to Monkey who insisted on being held, which led to me opening the cooker with the left hand, which I never do, and totally burning myself with steam. Arg.) but thankfully, we have each other to lean on. What a relief. There are so many reasons why parents are out there doing it along, be it death, divorce, armed forces, or even a really rough work schedule between two parents. I know two of my sisters must feel like single parents half the time. Their husbands work tons, and one also works and her schedule usually fills in the gaps her hubbies doesn't. So when they're home, they're like single parents. Crazy! I always say that I'm too needy to have my hubs gone much. I do believe that's true. But I still feel totally greedy and selfish sometimes that I have him when so many people do it alone all the time. You deserve a parenting award. All of you.
And to end this insane day full of, well, insanity, I leave you with something to get you through to tomorrow morning. Every night before we go to bed, we always check on the kids. It's not something we've always done, but started doing a while back. If you've never watched them, give it a try. Sleeping children (I'm sure there are exceptions. Luckily mine aren't.) are angels. Sometimes they're funny angels, but they're angels. I've always said that looking so sweet while they sleep is my kid's greatest redeeming quality. No matter how horrible the day was, I will go in at night and make sure they're not sleeping in a position that will drain all the blood from any appendages and usually sigh at how sweet they look. That last glimpse of my gems can sometimes erase all the negative and horrible things that happened that day. It helps me sleep at night and wake up somewhat refreshed and possibly rejuvenated for the next day. If you ever need a boost before going to sleep, take a peek at your sleeping kids. Or if you don't have any, ask someone else if you can peek at theirs. ;)
Too bad adorable sleeping kids won't take away my nasty burn... :)
Sunday, February 21
I thought I learned that already...
I was reminded recently of a lesson I thought I'd already learned as a parent. Apparently, you can learn these lessons over and over again. Oh joy. This lesson was how much my attitude affects my kids. I have learned and implemented this since I learned it when Moose was younger. However, this week I was reminded of this concept in a sister's blog. Then today I completely did what I thought I learned NOT to do. This morning I was so irritated my Moose's sounds. Sometimes he's like a broken sound effects machine that won't turn off. I get so grouchy and grumpy. As we were leaving to go to church, I tell him to knock it off. Then my sweet husband says, if we're gonna stop this behavior, let's set up a real consequence. He then proceeds to tell him if he continues to do what he's doing (And me and my hubs make a point to mimic the exact behavior we don't want them to do so there's no room for confusion. As effective as this is, it's still kinda silly.) he will have X consequence. My hubs then continues to engage him in a "find this" driving game. I was so taken my his calm and much more positive tone, compared to my growling and crabbiness.
I completely believe that my behavior affects my kids. If I wake up crabby and tired and irritable, even though my child could've had a perfectly happy day, he will also become crabby, tired, and irritable. I've also learned that it's much harder for them to get out of this slump I've created than me. One day I realized I had caused a housefull of grouchiness and tried to start over. I was able to see the error of my ways and make sense of it, vowing to have a better attitude. However, my much more underdeveloped-emotionally child was not able to just switch off the crab switch like I was. I felt horrible that I had brought his day to ruins like that. As I said, I have already learned this lesson.
Today, though, the lesson was slightly different. Some days it's like I wake up ready for a fight. I approach everything with that guarded growl, even if it wasn't deserved. Thanks to today, and my sister's blog post, I've realized that if I change my attitude and approach something that might warrant crabbiness with a more positive outlook, it completely changes the way my kids will react to their day. If I have the power to help my kids be happier, thus behaving better, and ultimately keeping me happier, then why on earth shouldn't I be doing that? My thoughts exactly.
And how about a glory for the day?
Well, this one is a mixed bag. Monkey woke up screaming last night at 11 pm. We think she's teething (with 3 potential spots where new teeth are bound to come in over the next few months. Maybe even at the same time. Wee.) The entire evening she had been one irritable mess. So this was not a great wake-up call. Well, no 11 pm wake up call is great when you've only been asleep for like an hour or less. Anyway, we tried to feed her since Miss Crank hadn't hardly had any dinner. She would not have it. So we gave her some tylenol in the hopes that she might get comfortable and set up the pak n play in the living room. We have no problem letting our kids work out their issues in the middle of the night as long as it's not keeping anyone else up. Since she shares a room with Moose, the living room is a must. Anyway, the actual semi-nice part of this ordeal was that after her freaking out and all, I sat with her on the couch. She was resting with her back on my chest, just chilling out in my lap. She was completely relaxed, holding her binky (Baby blanky with Winnie the Pooh head on it.) I sat there with her like that for between 5-10 minutes. For Monkey to sit like that, so relaxed and quiet is unprecedented. Despite it being 11 pm and me being not excited about being woken up like that, it was quite a sweet moment. It almost reminded me of nursing her when she was younger. But that's another post all together. Anyway, a small glory amidst a not of nothing glorious at all.
When you're a parent, you take what you can get.
I completely believe that my behavior affects my kids. If I wake up crabby and tired and irritable, even though my child could've had a perfectly happy day, he will also become crabby, tired, and irritable. I've also learned that it's much harder for them to get out of this slump I've created than me. One day I realized I had caused a housefull of grouchiness and tried to start over. I was able to see the error of my ways and make sense of it, vowing to have a better attitude. However, my much more underdeveloped-emotionally child was not able to just switch off the crab switch like I was. I felt horrible that I had brought his day to ruins like that. As I said, I have already learned this lesson.
Today, though, the lesson was slightly different. Some days it's like I wake up ready for a fight. I approach everything with that guarded growl, even if it wasn't deserved. Thanks to today, and my sister's blog post, I've realized that if I change my attitude and approach something that might warrant crabbiness with a more positive outlook, it completely changes the way my kids will react to their day. If I have the power to help my kids be happier, thus behaving better, and ultimately keeping me happier, then why on earth shouldn't I be doing that? My thoughts exactly.
And how about a glory for the day?
Well, this one is a mixed bag. Monkey woke up screaming last night at 11 pm. We think she's teething (with 3 potential spots where new teeth are bound to come in over the next few months. Maybe even at the same time. Wee.) The entire evening she had been one irritable mess. So this was not a great wake-up call. Well, no 11 pm wake up call is great when you've only been asleep for like an hour or less. Anyway, we tried to feed her since Miss Crank hadn't hardly had any dinner. She would not have it. So we gave her some tylenol in the hopes that she might get comfortable and set up the pak n play in the living room. We have no problem letting our kids work out their issues in the middle of the night as long as it's not keeping anyone else up. Since she shares a room with Moose, the living room is a must. Anyway, the actual semi-nice part of this ordeal was that after her freaking out and all, I sat with her on the couch. She was resting with her back on my chest, just chilling out in my lap. She was completely relaxed, holding her binky (Baby blanky with Winnie the Pooh head on it.) I sat there with her like that for between 5-10 minutes. For Monkey to sit like that, so relaxed and quiet is unprecedented. Despite it being 11 pm and me being not excited about being woken up like that, it was quite a sweet moment. It almost reminded me of nursing her when she was younger. But that's another post all together. Anyway, a small glory amidst a not of nothing glorious at all.
When you're a parent, you take what you can get.
Saturday, February 20
It's always your fault...
Today I was reminded that even though Moose almost broke my typewriter (yes, I'm kinda weird and have an old electric typewriter) that it was still my fault and he cried at me. How does this become my fault? I really don't know. Nonetheless, it was. It took a good 10-15 minutes before he was able to calm down enough to accept that he needed to apologize to me. Then he learned that it's not a toy, and he can only use it when I'm with him. To ensure he doesn't do whatever it was he did the last time. After it was all said and done, the lesson I learned? It doesn't matter who broke it, it's still my fault.
Another moment of teaching today. (For me or the kids?...sometimes I'm not sure.) It's not okay to push your sister over, make her cry, and walk away. I can imagine how that might seem okay in the mind of a 3 1/2 year old. But really, it's not okay. I had to explain this to Moose a few times. Eventually he said "ok". I always thought my child was somewhat superior in his moral compass. Up until now that is. Now I realize he is any other boy who likes to push, shove and wrestle, and if someone cries about it, he walks away like he had nothing to do with it. You know how they say ignorance is bliss. I can see how that is true in parenting. But I'm glad I know my children aren't perfect. I'd hate to be one of those painfully oblivious parents who thinks their kid is an angel as they terrorize other kids and possibly even adults. I'm okay having my ignorance bubble burst. If it helps me be a better parent, so be it.
How about a little bit of glory today? (For those of you who haven't caught on yet, that's my term for something great today that helps me to continue being a good parent each day, and reminds me that kids are pretty great.)
Monkey has a binky. No, this is not a pacifier. She has 5 of those. But in our family a binky is a small baby blanket. With my gems (again, if you haven't caught on yet, that's a collective term for my little guys. I'm Jewels, they're my gems.) theirs are literally quite small. I was attached to mine for quite a few years, I'll admit. With this in mind, at least if they drag them around, they won't literally be dragged. Anyhow, after reading Monkey her story for a morning nap, I pick her up, stand by her crib and give her her binky. It has a little Winnie the Pooh head on it. She likes to press her forehead/eyes area against the Pooh and make a moaning/Mmmm sound. It's so darn sweet. I'll repeat it back at her and we'll go back and forth until she's done. Sometimes a good 10-30 seconds, depending on her mood. I absolutely love it. It's such a sweet, tender thing that makes me smile inside. It's the little things that keep us going. The little moments.
Another moment of teaching today. (For me or the kids?...sometimes I'm not sure.) It's not okay to push your sister over, make her cry, and walk away. I can imagine how that might seem okay in the mind of a 3 1/2 year old. But really, it's not okay. I had to explain this to Moose a few times. Eventually he said "ok". I always thought my child was somewhat superior in his moral compass. Up until now that is. Now I realize he is any other boy who likes to push, shove and wrestle, and if someone cries about it, he walks away like he had nothing to do with it. You know how they say ignorance is bliss. I can see how that is true in parenting. But I'm glad I know my children aren't perfect. I'd hate to be one of those painfully oblivious parents who thinks their kid is an angel as they terrorize other kids and possibly even adults. I'm okay having my ignorance bubble burst. If it helps me be a better parent, so be it.
How about a little bit of glory today? (For those of you who haven't caught on yet, that's my term for something great today that helps me to continue being a good parent each day, and reminds me that kids are pretty great.)
Monkey has a binky. No, this is not a pacifier. She has 5 of those. But in our family a binky is a small baby blanket. With my gems (again, if you haven't caught on yet, that's a collective term for my little guys. I'm Jewels, they're my gems.) theirs are literally quite small. I was attached to mine for quite a few years, I'll admit. With this in mind, at least if they drag them around, they won't literally be dragged. Anyhow, after reading Monkey her story for a morning nap, I pick her up, stand by her crib and give her her binky. It has a little Winnie the Pooh head on it. She likes to press her forehead/eyes area against the Pooh and make a moaning/Mmmm sound. It's so darn sweet. I'll repeat it back at her and we'll go back and forth until she's done. Sometimes a good 10-30 seconds, depending on her mood. I absolutely love it. It's such a sweet, tender thing that makes me smile inside. It's the little things that keep us going. The little moments.
Friday, February 19
No really, you'll like this...
I just love it when I have to coerce my children to do something that I know they'll love. Take today for example: It's midwinter (in the North West US, which means snow for another 1-2 months at least) but for some amazing reason the sun is shining and the ice outside (no, it's not snow anymore, just large heaps of ice) is actually melting. So I say, "Let's go outside and play!" Thinking for sure Moose will be all over that. ... Nope. After much coercion and cajoling, he finally agreed. He had a great time.
Next is Monkey. It's time for lunch, we've been out all day long, and I know the little gal is hungry. But will she eat her food? ... Nope. After much fanangling, vehicle sounds, and ridiculous faces from Mama, the child finally decides she will eat the food I'm spooning and downs the whole jar.
Who knew Moms know what they're talking about? What a wild idea.
Next is Monkey. It's time for lunch, we've been out all day long, and I know the little gal is hungry. But will she eat her food? ... Nope. After much fanangling, vehicle sounds, and ridiculous faces from Mama, the child finally decides she will eat the food I'm spooning and downs the whole jar.
Who knew Moms know what they're talking about? What a wild idea.
Thursday, February 18
ME time away from the kids...
I love how I talk about taking that ME time and using it for something you want to do that's just for you. During today's nap I totally ended up cleaning, did the kid's laundry, and rearranged some things in the living room, and did the dishes. But the thing is, I wanted to do them. That's why it was relaxing.
The kicker for me, and I've only just learned to do this, and that I need to do this, is time away from the kids, and by away, I mean distance. Thursday night is volleyball night. I just started going this past fall. For a while I didn't think I had that need to be physically away. I don't have many other outlets for exercise (especially in a winter that's snow from December to who knows when) so I used it for that purpose. However, as I've gone more and gotten to know the girls I play with better, I've realized that it's now a necessary part of my week for me. It gets me away from the kids, completely out of my mind *not wondering if they're going to interrupt my shower* and I can do something I enjoy. That's relaxing. And it occasionally kicks my butt too, which I need every now and then.
So here's a glory from today:
1. Glorious: Moose came up to me today with a big grin on his face and says: "Hola Mama. Como estas?" (We do some home pre-school stuff every day. Nothing fancy. But these are the latest words he's learned.) It was so darn cute. Made me feel good.
It was a good day. Not too many complaints. I'm sure I'll have some tomorrow... :)
The kicker for me, and I've only just learned to do this, and that I need to do this, is time away from the kids, and by away, I mean distance. Thursday night is volleyball night. I just started going this past fall. For a while I didn't think I had that need to be physically away. I don't have many other outlets for exercise (especially in a winter that's snow from December to who knows when) so I used it for that purpose. However, as I've gone more and gotten to know the girls I play with better, I've realized that it's now a necessary part of my week for me. It gets me away from the kids, completely out of my mind *not wondering if they're going to interrupt my shower* and I can do something I enjoy. That's relaxing. And it occasionally kicks my butt too, which I need every now and then.
So here's a glory from today:
1. Glorious: Moose came up to me today with a big grin on his face and says: "Hola Mama. Como estas?" (We do some home pre-school stuff every day. Nothing fancy. But these are the latest words he's learned.) It was so darn cute. Made me feel good.
It was a good day. Not too many complaints. I'm sure I'll have some tomorrow... :)
What makes a day...
It may seem like such a simple thing, but to me it's the difference between a good day and a not so good day. Well, it's a nice contributing factor anyway. This morning I was able to take a shower. All by myself. Without any interruptions. That is so nice. I know I could have this more regularly if I really tried hard, but sometimes if you have to try that hard just to get one, it takes the fun out of it. Anyway, this morning I was able to have that time. All to myself. Not only that, but I took the time to get dressed, and ....trumpets announcing.... did my hair. I may not be like every mom out there, but for me this is a big deal. If I actually have the time and energy to dry my hair and - cherry on top - style it, I'm headed for a good day. Granted, all of this can be easily taken from my by sick, grouchy, grumpy, angry, fighting, screaming children. Luckily for me, that hasn't happened...yet. The day is young. But for now I'm reveling in the fact that I actually feel pretty (something that may come hard once you have kids. Others may still look their best all the time, but I know I sure don't.)
I did just put the gems down for their nap. They nap in the same room, together, at the same time. Isn't that just sounding like a recipe for disaster? It does. I know. And there are days like yesterday, that become just that. All it takes is Moose needing to go poo after 45 minutes (their naps usually last for 2 hours, sometimes 3 if I'm lucky.) and in the process of finding me in the shower, wakes up his sister, who is now screaming as I hurrily rinse off my face wash and cover myself in something before I trail water all the way to their room to help her go back to sleep. Despite those types of days, I do somewhat regularly have days when they nap. Together. Peacefully. Which for mom means about 2 hours of completely solitary, quiet, do-whatever-I-want time. Unfortunately my guard will be up for the first hour, since that's apparently Moose's maximum length of time he can lay in bed without being asleep, before he decides he has to go to the potty or tell me he's done napping. Nonetheless, it's my time, and since I've already started the day off to a good start by letting myself feel pretty, I'm feeling pretty productive.
This does not mean I will clean for 2 hours while the kids are sleeping. Goodness, no. I have a feeling there are moms like that. Who use every alone second they get cleaning or doing chores, or doing things that are for people other than themselves. To you I say: Take a break! If I don't get at least one relaxing hour a day (before hubby comes home at 5:30) to myself, I'm not a happy mom. This does not include laundry, cleaning, dishes, or anything else devoted to someone else. If I'm in the right mood, I might decide to do dishes because it makes me feel like I did something good for the family that day. However, this time is for me. I may watch a tv show on the computer, do a blog :), sew, read, whatever on earth strikes my fancy. With only two children, this may be a leisure I won't have a few children down the road. (Don't know how many we'll end up with, so don't ask.)
**cue elevator music while Monkey is crying.....give her binky back.....tell Moose he can NOT get out of bed....and we're back**
So, as I was saying. Umm...yeah, I like to take that nap time to do something for me. Everyone should do the same. It's healthy. :)
Speaking of that nap time, I'd better get to it before I have another interruption. I'm only 10 minutes in. I've got another 50 before I know they're actually going to stay asleep. Better enjoy them.
I did just put the gems down for their nap. They nap in the same room, together, at the same time. Isn't that just sounding like a recipe for disaster? It does. I know. And there are days like yesterday, that become just that. All it takes is Moose needing to go poo after 45 minutes (their naps usually last for 2 hours, sometimes 3 if I'm lucky.) and in the process of finding me in the shower, wakes up his sister, who is now screaming as I hurrily rinse off my face wash and cover myself in something before I trail water all the way to their room to help her go back to sleep. Despite those types of days, I do somewhat regularly have days when they nap. Together. Peacefully. Which for mom means about 2 hours of completely solitary, quiet, do-whatever-I-want time. Unfortunately my guard will be up for the first hour, since that's apparently Moose's maximum length of time he can lay in bed without being asleep, before he decides he has to go to the potty or tell me he's done napping. Nonetheless, it's my time, and since I've already started the day off to a good start by letting myself feel pretty, I'm feeling pretty productive.
This does not mean I will clean for 2 hours while the kids are sleeping. Goodness, no. I have a feeling there are moms like that. Who use every alone second they get cleaning or doing chores, or doing things that are for people other than themselves. To you I say: Take a break! If I don't get at least one relaxing hour a day (before hubby comes home at 5:30) to myself, I'm not a happy mom. This does not include laundry, cleaning, dishes, or anything else devoted to someone else. If I'm in the right mood, I might decide to do dishes because it makes me feel like I did something good for the family that day. However, this time is for me. I may watch a tv show on the computer, do a blog :), sew, read, whatever on earth strikes my fancy. With only two children, this may be a leisure I won't have a few children down the road. (Don't know how many we'll end up with, so don't ask.)
**cue elevator music while Monkey is crying.....give her binky back.....tell Moose he can NOT get out of bed....and we're back**
So, as I was saying. Umm...yeah, I like to take that nap time to do something for me. Everyone should do the same. It's healthy. :)
Speaking of that nap time, I'd better get to it before I have another interruption. I'm only 10 minutes in. I've got another 50 before I know they're actually going to stay asleep. Better enjoy them.
Wednesday, February 17
There's no I in TEAM...
If any of you were/are athletes, you know the response to this is: But there is a ME. Same goes for MOTHER. There's no I, but there is a ME. As I've thought today about the things I can share and write about, I realized that there's so much more to motherhood than just the children. Certainly, having them gives you the title of mother, but it doesn't make the "me" disappear. As most moms will tell you, the ME often gets put on the back burner. In many cases, way too often. However, so much of the work in being mother is re-defining ME and making sure it doesn't get lost. So along with the ins and outs of motherhood with regards to my gems (a sweet term I like to use for my little ones) I will most definitely have something to say about the ME in MOTHER.
Every single day there are sweet, precious moments that make you think to yourself "Ahh. I love being a mother. My children are so sweet. This is so great." or other nice thoughts such as those. However, there are also those non-glorious moments that produce gray hairs, test your sanity and possibly produce not so nice words with a not so nice voice. Here are my top two for the day:
Not so glorious: Being interrupted during my shower (mid-afternoon, because sometimes if you are even lucky enough to get one, that's when it happens) by Moose who says he needs to go poo, and then hearing Monkey in the background screaming because his getting up from his nap, woke her from his. (They share a room. Often it's unfortunate, but in general works out okay. But don't get me wrong, I'd spring at a 3 bedroom if it cost the same.) This more or less signaled the end of nap time. Oh yay.
Glorious: Watching Monkey take 6 consecutive steps this evening, with a humongous grin on her face. (and for those who know our children, they have pretty large mouths, which make these grins all the more endearing.) It's not like I have anything to do with her ability to walk. It just makes you feel good inside to see how your kids are growing. It really feels like just a few months ago that she was born. (I'd say it feels "just like yesterday" but it doesn't feel quite so fresh.) She's only 10 months old, but already taking such leaps and bounds. I know that oftentimes a second child will take mobility with much more gusto than the first because they're always trying to keep up. It's such a joy to watch. And she's so aware of what she's doing, so that when she does, it is visibly obvious that she is extremely pleased with herself. Glorious.
Every single day there are sweet, precious moments that make you think to yourself "Ahh. I love being a mother. My children are so sweet. This is so great." or other nice thoughts such as those. However, there are also those non-glorious moments that produce gray hairs, test your sanity and possibly produce not so nice words with a not so nice voice. Here are my top two for the day:
Not so glorious: Being interrupted during my shower (mid-afternoon, because sometimes if you are even lucky enough to get one, that's when it happens) by Moose who says he needs to go poo, and then hearing Monkey in the background screaming because his getting up from his nap, woke her from his. (They share a room. Often it's unfortunate, but in general works out okay. But don't get me wrong, I'd spring at a 3 bedroom if it cost the same.) This more or less signaled the end of nap time. Oh yay.
Glorious: Watching Monkey take 6 consecutive steps this evening, with a humongous grin on her face. (and for those who know our children, they have pretty large mouths, which make these grins all the more endearing.) It's not like I have anything to do with her ability to walk. It just makes you feel good inside to see how your kids are growing. It really feels like just a few months ago that she was born. (I'd say it feels "just like yesterday" but it doesn't feel quite so fresh.) She's only 10 months old, but already taking such leaps and bounds. I know that oftentimes a second child will take mobility with much more gusto than the first because they're always trying to keep up. It's such a joy to watch. And she's so aware of what she's doing, so that when she does, it is visibly obvious that she is extremely pleased with herself. Glorious.
Let it begin...Let it begin!
You'll have to excuse me for frequent (though often relevant) quoting from children's movies. As is implied by the blog title and description, I am a mother. Hence, I have seen and have memorized multiple Disney/Pixar films. Having a very good memory does not help me in my plight to not memorize everything my son watches. Anyway, on to more important things. This is my new project. I would like to say I was inspired by the movie Julie/Julia, but I really only watched the trailer. It is in my netflix queue, however, and after watching the trailer swiftly moved up the list. Nonetheless, I was inspired by it and wanted to do some sort of self-improvement/project/experiment/something I could share with other people. This is eventually what I came up with.
Introduction:
I am a young (about to turn 26) mother of two. I've been married for 5 1/2 years. Our son, Moose (for the purposes of this blog, the innocent, and often guilty, shall remain "nicknamed") is currently 3 1/2. Monkey, our daughter, is 10 months old (today, actually). So I've not been at this parenting thing too long. But for those of you who are in my situation, you can appreciate that it still feels like a long time. Well, at least some days it feels like I've been at this a long time.
So, the ultimate goal and purpose of this blog is to:
1. Give a real life, day to day, and very honest portayal of motherhood. In all its glories and not-so-glories.
Okay, that's mostly it. No #2 just yet. Maybe eventually I'll think of one, but for now, that's it. I do plan to post once a day. This is my personal goal. However, with the way kids are, I might end up with material for more than one. But certainly once a day. (Although that once may be at night, after kids are asleep, and after having had some quiet time with the hubby.) So, I guess I did have a #2:
2. Post once a day.
There.
Now, to preface every post to come from here on out, I am not a perfect parent. Woo. That feels better. That said, I will probably get on a soap box occasionally about things we do with our kids that I think are superior to something else. Well, I might not to that, but I might pat myself on the back about things anyway. I might also put my children on pedestals. Before I was a parent, or maybe when I was a real newbie parent, I used to say that I wouldn't make the mistake of thinking my children are angels, that they don't do anything wrong, that they are smarter than other kids, etc. As much as I still try to live by that mantra, I don't do it all the time. In my 3 1/2 years parenting I have learned that pretty much every parent does and will think that, if not from time to time. I've decided it's healthy. As long as I don't think it blindly 100% of the time. I will also, likely, bite myself in the bum from time to time. It's natural. That'll be the beauty of this. Very honest, very real. It may take me a while to get the real feel for it, but I really want to portray life as a stay at home mom (a phrase I don't really like, but it serves a purpose I suppose). There are so many things about motherhood that are distorted, misrepresented, or just not talked about at all. I plan to.
Well, it's mid-afternoon, after a failed attempt at nice naps for the kids. So I suppose I need to go. I have some parenting to do.
Introduction:
I am a young (about to turn 26) mother of two. I've been married for 5 1/2 years. Our son, Moose (for the purposes of this blog, the innocent, and often guilty, shall remain "nicknamed") is currently 3 1/2. Monkey, our daughter, is 10 months old (today, actually). So I've not been at this parenting thing too long. But for those of you who are in my situation, you can appreciate that it still feels like a long time. Well, at least some days it feels like I've been at this a long time.
So, the ultimate goal and purpose of this blog is to:
1. Give a real life, day to day, and very honest portayal of motherhood. In all its glories and not-so-glories.
Okay, that's mostly it. No #2 just yet. Maybe eventually I'll think of one, but for now, that's it. I do plan to post once a day. This is my personal goal. However, with the way kids are, I might end up with material for more than one. But certainly once a day. (Although that once may be at night, after kids are asleep, and after having had some quiet time with the hubby.) So, I guess I did have a #2:
2. Post once a day.
There.
Now, to preface every post to come from here on out, I am not a perfect parent. Woo. That feels better. That said, I will probably get on a soap box occasionally about things we do with our kids that I think are superior to something else. Well, I might not to that, but I might pat myself on the back about things anyway. I might also put my children on pedestals. Before I was a parent, or maybe when I was a real newbie parent, I used to say that I wouldn't make the mistake of thinking my children are angels, that they don't do anything wrong, that they are smarter than other kids, etc. As much as I still try to live by that mantra, I don't do it all the time. In my 3 1/2 years parenting I have learned that pretty much every parent does and will think that, if not from time to time. I've decided it's healthy. As long as I don't think it blindly 100% of the time. I will also, likely, bite myself in the bum from time to time. It's natural. That'll be the beauty of this. Very honest, very real. It may take me a while to get the real feel for it, but I really want to portray life as a stay at home mom (a phrase I don't really like, but it serves a purpose I suppose). There are so many things about motherhood that are distorted, misrepresented, or just not talked about at all. I plan to.
Well, it's mid-afternoon, after a failed attempt at nice naps for the kids. So I suppose I need to go. I have some parenting to do.
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