"That Mom"

Yesterday I woke up feeling so run down and exhausted that no one would guess that I had slept a solid eight hours with zero interruptions.

When Man Cub approached my side of the bed and asked for breakfast, I told him to climb in next to me and go back to sleep. Because that is what every 5-year-old boy wants to hear at 7am. When he asked again, five minutes later, I didn't even open my eyes. I whispered "Go ask Daddy." You know, Daddy...the guy who is busy getting ready for a morning meeting. Yeah, I was that mom. 

I did get out of bed when Girl Child began to yell "Mama, Mama, Mama!" from her crib. Blessedly, my fella had already poured dry cereal for them. A cup of coffee and a sugar and butter laden muffin did nothing for my energy level, so I sat and watched my fella finish getting ready instead of doing any of my own morning routine.

By 8am I had decided that I had to take the kids to the water park. Not necessarily for their own enjoyment, but rather because I knew that the water park would entertain them and tire them out...and I needed them to be too tired to require much effort on my part in the afternoon! I was that mom.

My plan to sit in a lounge chair in the sun and merely supervise their activity (that mom!) did not go over very well. Girl Child decided that this was the day to take on the water slides. I did not count the number of times she insisted that we go "again! again!" but I am relatively certain that we climbed those stairs about 87 times. At least. Finally, I decided to let her brother take her and I waited at the bottom to catch her. The first time it went wonderfully. There was hope! But the second time, she fell on the stairs and another mother carried her to the lifeguard to find out which heartless, neglectful mother this pitiful, crying toddler belonged to. Oh, that would be me. You know, that mom.

Around the time her tears and my guilt subsided, the kids started complaining of hunger. I had not packed a lunch. No biggie. But I also had not packed any snacks or drinks to hold them over until lunch. Very out of character for me. So we headed over to the snack bar and, forgoing the many healthful menu items, shared a plate of loaded nachos and a humongous Dr. Pepper. Yeah, I was that mom.

After some more play time, we headed home. I put Girl Child down for a nap and started a cartoon on Netflix for Man Cub. My plan was to let him watch one show while I did a hair cut, and then engage him in some sort of non-electronic activity for quiet time. Well, over the course of the afternoon he watched four full-length movies. And ate cookies. Lots of cookies. I was that mom.  

Sometime during this movie marathon, he asked "Hey mom, why didn't we have lunch?" Oh, I guess because I fed you nachos and soda and cookies all day long and forgot to actually feed you a meal. Yeah, I'm that mom. 

And speaking of meals, something needed to be done about dinner. Spaghetti! Spaghetti is low effort! I pulled out the ingredients, started boiling water, and headed back to the couch. When I heard it begin to boil, I dragged myself up. But, just as I was about to open the box of noodles, my fella arrived home with Chik-Fil-A for all of us! Hallelujah!

So, after a day of nothing but processed convenience food, I fed my kids Chik-Fil-A for dinner. And not even the nuggets-with-fruit-and-milk version that they are used to. No. Kid's meals straight up with french fries and soda. Yep. That mom. 

After running a quick errand, we were back home again. And it was only 6:45. This day was slower than the last day of school. Slower than the DMV. Slower than listening to that guy Mountain Man on Duck Dynasty. So, I put my daughter to bed...at 6:50. That mom. 

And then I put on another movie for my son. And then another after that. And I sat on the couch and read blogs and blogged. That mom. 

Truth is, I don't even feel that bad about it. Because, some days, it's okay to be that mom. 





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It's not that I love diapers....I just hate potty training

 

Maybe I am the only one. I'm sure that the majority of mothers look forward to the day when their little one begins to show signs of potty-training-readiness. That probably explains all the stories of "I started before he/she was ready" that I hear. I, on the other hand, loathe those pre-potty indicators. So much so, in fact, that Girl Child has been asking to use the potty for weeks, and I have been ignoring those requests. Here's why:

• There will be a new baby in this house in approximately 6-9 weeks. I don't want to put all the work into potty training just so that, a) Girl Child can revert back to diapers because of the upheaval or, b) I will be totally overwhelmed and not have the time/energy/hands needed to assist a newly potty trained toddler.
• A potty-trained child is a lot of work! Not just the initial training, the weeks and months afterward. Requests for "potty" right as I finish strapping her into her car seat or just as we sit down at a restaurant, or [my favorite] halfway through a crowded grocery store.
• Potty training is disgusting. Yeah, so are diapers, I know. But at least a diaper is a carefully contained mess. Between the tiny (un-flushable) potties, uncoordinated hands trying to wipe themselves, and the inevitable accident of the #2 variety.... I shudder. And this is coming from a cloth diapering mama. Yeah, I said it; I find potty training ickier than washing my child's poo off of a cloth diaper.
• I'm not any good at it. It took me ONE FULL YEAR of diligent training to fully house break.... er....potty train my oldest child. I read all the books, tried all the " fool proof" techniques, and still nothing. I once read that high-IQ children are harder to potty train.... so we'll go with that theory.... yeah.

I met a mom at the water park the other day that proudly proclaimed that her 19-month-old is completely potty trained. I congratulated her on her awesome parenting and told her how bright her little one is. And then I enjoyed the pool while that rookie took her little prodigy on, no lie, five trips to the bathroom. On the other side of the park.

So, when Girl Child approaches me with her hands on her backside and says "I poo poo," I choose to praise her emerging verbal skills and ignore what her pediatrician would call " Early Toilet Training Readiness." If that lady wants to point out signs of readiness, she can come over and bleach out the tiny potty and help with all the extra laundry. Until then, I'm standing my ground on this one.

**Please note, the title picture was taken on the day that my fella finally insisted that I end the mommy-denial and at least let her sit on the potty when she asks. She sat there for like an hour. And then she got up and peed all over the floor. I think my point was made.





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Tee Ball: The End Of The Season

The end of the tee ball season has arrived. This year, we have been blessed with wonderful coaches! They worked hard to teach the kids real baseball skills, make the season fun, and keep things fair. They put extra effort into rotating the batting line up and the positions on the field, so that each child had an opportunity to play all the positions as well as the thrill of being "first batter" and "last batter." All of that would have been enough on it's own, but then they planned a great end-of-season party at a local restaurant with lunch and ice cream and paid for everything out of pocket. They also gifted the children with awesome trophies (twice the size of anything he has ever received on any other team) and a goodie bag full of baseball stuff, like a real ball and baseball tattoos. These people were seriously the best coaches in the league!

I really wanted to show our appreciation for the excellent job that they did, but my budget was small and I had three of them to appreciate. I decided on simple but cute baseball-themed baskets. Each plastic basket contained a baseball-topped tumbler, sunflower seeds, Cracker Jacks, and Big League Chew bubble gum. They were embellished with raffia basket filler, ribbon reading "Batter Up," and a handmade tag with their name. I wrote a personal note on the back of each tag, and Man-Cub signed his name to them. My total, including ribbon and filler, was a whopping $22! (Thank you Dollar Tree!)

As we were loading into our van after the last game, the realization hit me: this was Man-Cub's last tee ball game....ever. Sigh. Next year he moves into machine pitch and before I know it, he will be playing "big boy" baseball. I can't believe how time flies sometimes. I often think to myself that I'm not one of those moms that say "Where did the time go?" but in this case, I really felt it. Wasn't I just telling a disappointed 3-year-old that our local league wouldn't let him start until he turned four? Now, all of the sudden it seems, he has finished his two years of tee ball and is moving on and up.

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Why is my daughter crying? {A Special Vacation Edition}

On our recent mini-vaca to Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte, North Carolina, I tried to capture as many of the Girl-Child's meltdowns as possible. Don't get me wrong, we had a blast on our trip! But, with this girl, it doesn't matter how much fun we are having, there will be opportunities for an emotional breakdown.

 "I begged to put these flip-flops on, but I didn't actually want to walk while wearing them!"

 "I would rather cry on the floor of the lobby than participate in the fun, kid-friendly activity happening in front of me!"

 "You can't actually expect me to walk to the hotel room!"

 "I want to sit on this leather couch with you but it squeaks!!!"

"I'm way too tired to sleep!"

 "You helped me climb on this toy!!"

 "I asked for my doll and pillow pet and now that they are on me I can't stand it!"

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Why is my daughter crying?

The Girl-Child is....sensitive. 

Like, really, really sensitive.

As in, she cries.....a lot.

She melts into tears at least once a day, and these are not your typical, toddler tantrums. She is genuinely hurt. They are real tears and there is a real process of getting through the hurt feelings. It starts with a sniffle and before you know it she is all in. 

Inspired by a Tumblr feed that I saw recently, I decided to take some photos of these moments. After all, they are just as much a part of her personality as the funny and cute photos that everyone wants to see.  All of these pictures were taken within the last 2 months. The reasons in the captions are real, even when they seem impossible.

 We won't let her drink the egg dye:

 I gave her toys to play with in the sprinklers:

 Still crying (20 minutes later) so I moved her to a towel:

 I gave her the banana that she asked for.

 Daddy left without her:

 A full 10 minutes later:

 She can't get her baby doll into her toy stroller:

 I said "Time to go watch brother play baseball!"

 She took the straw out of her cup so no slushie comes out when she sucks it:

 Even though she has 2 necklaces, she wants mine:

 I want her to play on the playground, she wants to be held:

I wish that I had a camera with me for each and every crying fit. Then again, if I did, this post would be way too long. 

The point is, everything with kids is a phase. Laugh at the tough ones, you'll get through it...

and try not to think about what the adolescent years will be like!!

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If you ever want to do something with your life....

 

Do not be misled.

The title of this post is not the beginnings of friendly advice from me to you.

The title of this post is the beginning of an actual sentence that was actually spoken to me by someone that I had actually met only about thirty minutes prior.
The advice was neither solicited nor responded to. Of course now I can think of plenty of things to say in response to this unbelievably unbelievable statement. But at the moment I was so stunned I simply smiled and nodded as she listed her suggestions.
What I meant to say was:

"Thank you so much! Between caring for my home and family, educating my children and all of my volunteer work, I haven't had any time at all to come up with ways to do something with my life. I am so glad that I met you!"

The truth is, there always will be an ongoing debate between the Stay-At-Home-Moms (SAHMs)  and Working Moms (WMs). I think that I have a unique angle on this debate, because in my 5 years of motherhood I have spent 2.5 years as a WM and 2.5 years as a SAHM.

When I was a working mom, I felt that my time at work made me appreciate my time with Man Cub more. I also felt good about all the extra trips and "stuff" that my additional income allowed. But, I felt guilty every time I left him. I hated missing dinner time and bedtime several nights a week. I cannot even describe to you what it is like to hear that your first born child did all of his first milestones with a babysitter instead of with you. That was by far the lowest low of being a WM.

Now that I am a Stay-At-Home-Mom, I love the time that I spend with my kids. I love that I am their first source of care and comfort and I am the one they spend the bulk of their time with. I love that I never have to miss bedtime or dinnertime or story time. But, just as with being a WM, being a SAHM comes with it's sacrifices. The most tangible one to identify is the loss of that second full-time income. We made changes and adjustments, but it hasn't always been easy. And I have to admit, there are some days at home when it would simply be easier to be at work. There are times when I miss that individual identity. And there are certainly times that I miss all of the adult interaction.

No matter what side of the debate you are on, the point is that being a good mom is doing something with your life. This is your primary job, even if you have another one outside of the home.
 This is your mission field and your family is your ministry.
And that's about all I have to say about that.....

Raising Kind Kids

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:18

I have a Mom Brag to share, so don't roll your eyes at me :)

This morning, because there was nothing but one handful of cereal in our house, I took my kids to McDonald's for breakfast (on our way to the grocery store). Man-Cub really, really wanted Hot Cakes, so we had to go inside to eat. 

As we settled into our booth and began to eat, a man sat at the table directly across from us. He was extremely tall (taller than my fella, who is about 6'3"), he was as broad as a cartoon lumberjack, and he had hair and a beard that would make a Robertson man envious. This guy, probably in his 50's, was domineering to say the least. Right away, I made eye contact with him and smiled, but I worried that Man-Cub and Girl-Child would stare at him or embarrass me in some other way. Well, I was partly right. Girl-Child did start to stare, and he noticed. But then, to my joy, she broke into a big grin and started to wave at him. He gave her a little wave back but remained reserved and unsmiling. He got on the phone and began to speak, then Man-Cub started respond to the things he was saying to the person on the phone! 

Lumberjack: "Hey, whatcha doin'?"

Man-Cub: "I'm eatin' hot cakes, what are you doin'?"

Lumberjack (still talking on the phone): "Yeah, I'm up here at McDonald's."

Man-Cub "I know!! I'm here too! I can see you!"

And so on and so on, until the guy completely cracked up! He got such a good chuckle out of the situation, and struck up a conversation with Man-Cub, asking him all about his day. Girl-Child tried to steal the attention back by being extra-cutesy and the whole situation was absolutely heartwarming. By the time we left, the man's entire demeanor had changed. His posture was different, his face was brighter, and his expression happy. We wished him a good day and he returned the gesture, then exclaimed:

"Those are some special kids ya got there!"

I imagine that this guy doesn't get a lot of friendliness in his day, and I was so proud of my kids for looking past his physical appearance and showing him kindness. I have never talked to them about the subject. We talk about kindness to friends and what being kind means, but we have never had a specific talk about being kind to others no matter what. It occurred to me that they behaved the way they did because they see me and their dad being friendly to people when we are out and about. My fella is so gifted at being able to strike up a conversation with anyone about anything, and especially when he sees a lonely person. But beyond that, I realized that I behave that way because that is how my mother always acts!

There is so much to say about how we lead our kids by example, whether we intend to or not. Talking to and encouraging people is something that comes so naturally to my mother. Her example of kindheartedness has impacted not only her children, but her grandchildren as well. I can remember countless occasions where she approached someone who appeared sick and complemented their handbag or shoes. She always makes it a point to speak to mentally handicapped people when she encounters them, or to tell the parents of disabled children how much she loves their child's smile. Maybe this post would be more appropriately titled "Set the Example" or something along those lines. You cannot raise kind kids, or grandkids, or great-grandkids, if you don't show the example first yourself!

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The Return of the Elf

Last year was our family's first year participating in the media-driven madness that is Elf on the Shelf. We purchased him, because our then 3 year old saw the 30 minute tv special and really liked it. Later that week, we saw an Elf on the Shelf box set in a store and picked it up. It was quite a lot of fun moving our elf, "Sheldon" from spot to spot each evening and watching Man-Cub eagerly search for him each morning. It wasn't until after Christmas that I really got into Pinterest and discovered all of the fantastical elf-y ideas that are out there.

This year, I had an elf plan, and of course that plan involves character education. You might say that character education is my hobby these days. When I look at these children, I see not only sticky faces and goofy smiles. I see adults that, with the right foundations, will become disciples of Christ and servants to others. Now, back to the elf.

Our elf arrived the same day that we were putting up the decorations, which happened to be during Thanksgiving week. I sneakily placed a package addressed to the kids on the front porch, and a few hours later when I knew that the mailman was on our street, I asked Man-Cub to go out and check our mail. When he discovered that the box on the porch bore his name, he was pretty pumped.

I then assisted him in "sounding out" the return address. You cannot imagine his excitement when he learned that the package came from Santa!

We took a seat on the stairs and opened the box, which contained Sheldon the elf and a letter from Santa.

The letter read:

Noah & Evelynn,

Sheldon was so excited to see you again, he couldn't wait one more day! So when I told him that you were decorating for Christmas early, he begged me to send him by express mail!

Remember, I bring presents because my heart is so full of Jesus' love. If Sheldon acts naughty or misbehaves while he is at your house, please remind him that Jesus loves him no matter what.

I will be seeing you both soon!

Love,

Santa

So the plan is for Sheldon to get into a little bit of mischief while he is here, and for Man-Cub to teach him all about grace and forgiveness.

There are some really cool ideas and resources out there for incorporating the fun of Santa with the true meaning of Christmas. One of our favorites is Veggie Tales: The Story of St. Nicholas. We love how it teaches our kids where the tradition of Santa Claus came from, as well as reinforcing the idea that; "I can love because God loves me, I can give because God gave."

I would love to hear all about how you incorporate the real reason for Christmas with the Santa fun!

Chain of Gratitude

This is an activity that we did when I was a kid. I love the fact that it focuses on being grateful for what we already have. In my opinion, there is just way too much focus on what we are going to get at Christmastime. 

I started with a basic mason jar, and decorated it. I used some hemp twine and a handmade tag reading "25 Days of Gratitude."

I then picked a few pages of scrapbooking paper in colors that match my home decor, and cut them into strips measuring 1"x6" which I added to the jar.

Each night of December, before bed, every member of our family will take a strip and write down something that they are grateful for on the white inside the strip.

Then we will add them to the chain.

While the chain will start short and probably stay on a tabletop at first, as it grows we will probably  use to to decorate our buffet in the dining room or hang over a window valance. You can choose to either add to it year after year or [as we will do] you can pack it away with your decorations, then start the next Christmas season by taking apart the previous year's chain and reading aloud all of the things you were grateful for last year.

I pray that your Christmas season will be filled with gratitude, generosity, joy and love!

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Paper Bag Manger & Character Building Activity

 If you know me, or have been reading this blog very long, you know that I am borderline obsessed with character education for kids. During Christmas, I am also obsessed with teaching my kids the real reason for Christmas. This activity is a favorite of mine, because it combines both.

As with many of my Christmas activities, this is a great craft for older children, but if you have little ones you can make this and then allow your children to participate in the activity that goes along with it.

To make your paper manger you will need:

-Brown paper bag (lunch size or grocery size is your choice)

-scissors

-glue

-yellow card stock

-Either a baby doll or make your own doll with white felt and a wooden ball

 Begin by cutting the top of your bag to your desired height, and cutting a circle in the center.

Now you will cut the sides out of your bag, approximately half of the remained height.

Glue the top of your bag together. Then decorate as desired. I simply added a paper star to the top.

Cut your yellow card stock into strips and fold accordion-style. Place these in a separate jar, bag or other container.

Now comes the character education part. Explain to your kids that each time they do something that embodies the true spirit of Christmas, they get to add a piece of "straw" to the manger. This could be anything from displaying generosity, kindness, keeping a joyful attitude or even doing a service project for others. Be sure to give examples, and stay on watch for this behavior. You could even enlist your kids to "catch" each other pleasing Jesus. You may decide to remove a piece of straw each time the behave selfishly, greedily or are unkind, but be sure that it doesn't become a tattling contest between your kids. On Christmas Eve, talk to your children about how their actions were pleasing to Jesus, and praise them for filling up the manger. Then you can add your doll "Baby Jesus" on top of the bed they made for him.

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Felt Nativity Advent Calendar

Around this time of year, I am always concerned that my kids are counting down to a day when they get presents,  and not counting down to a big birthday celebration for Jesus. With all of the commercialized aspects of the holiday season, it takes a lot of effort to bring the focus back to the true reason for this wonderful holiday.

For several years, I searched for an advent calendar that depicted a nativity, to no avail. So last year, I decided to make my own. This is an awesome craft for older kids, but if your kids are little like mine, you can do the "making" yourself and allow them to participate in the daily countdown.

You will need:

-Felt advent calendar base (I found mine at Hobby Lobby)

-Black, white, yellow and tan felt

-Glue 

Your first step will be to do a Google Images search for "Nativity Silhouette" and decide which one you want to use. I chose a very simple one. Print out the image of your choice, and cut it out. Now, trace your image onto your black felt. Pencil shows up fairly well. Glue your silhouette onto your calendar.

Now use your remaining felt to create your baby Jesus. I pretty much free handed mine, but if you are looking for a template or ideas, use that Google Search again. Make sure that your Jesus is sized appropriately to fit into the pockets of your calendar. 

The one main difference between this calendar and the others you have probably seen is that instead of counting up from 1 to 24, you will count down from 24 to 1. This allows the Christ child to "travel" towards the manger scene. 

Because felt sticks to felt, on Christmas morning you can place baby Jesus directly in the manger.

This is one of many things that we do around our house in an effort to put the focus on Him. What traditions does your family have that celebrate the true reason for Christmas?

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Super Simple Salt Dough Ornaments

 

I originally discovered this recipe on Pinterest, and we have had so much fun with it here. I have slightly altered the original to include more flour and less salt, which creates a very smooth outcome.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup salt

1 1/2 cups water

Combine flour and salt, then incorporate water slowly. Knead the mixture on a floured surface for approximately 15 minutes or until very smooth and not sticky. Roll out on floured surface to about 1 cm thickness.

To make the handprint gift ornaments, simply cut out a circle (I used a drinking glass) and help your little ones press their hands into the dough.

To make the cut outs, just allow your kids to use cookie cutters, the same way you would do with sugar cookie dough. (That's Man-Cub making a "please stop taking photos of me so I can keep playing with this dough" face)

For all of the ornaments, I used a straw to poke the holes.

Once you have cut out or shaped them, bake in a 300 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. The ornaments should be completely hardened once cooled.

Decorate your ornaments with acrylic paint, glitter glue, or paint pens.

Here are few of our finished ornaments. We all had a blast with this project, and Man-Cub has brought out the cookie cutters several times since, begging to repeat the project!

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