Special Visitors

This weekend, my in-laws came in town for Halloween. We had a great time, and I really do always enjoy having them visit. But preparing for their arrival is almost always a lot of work.



First, let me explain that I have a wonderful mother-in-law. But she does make one thing really difficult - she is a super neat freak and a REALLY good housekeeper. No problem, right? Not unless you are married to her son. Sorry, honey, but I will never be able to keep a house like your mother. Oh well. I have long ago accepted this part of my personality. However, when they come for a visit, I always feel just a little extra pressure to present my house looking it's best. And while they are here, I always feel a little pressure to make sure it stays that way. I'm not trying to be someone I am not; in fact, this is the housekeeper I always strive to be and their visits give me a little motivation to succeed.



So, my cleaning started a least two days ahead of their arrival. I can't leave anything for last minute. As soon as I do that, some child will refuse to let me put them down and then I have to shove everything in the master bedroom and close the door just minutes before they arrive. And this was not just a regular visit either. This was a some new people who have never been to our house might stop by and ask for a tour of the house visit.



Here is a list of "in-law" cleaning, both before they come and while they are visiting.



1. After every meal, I thoroughly clean both the high chair and booster chair. Not my typical get the big chunks and major crust off. I actually take the tray off and wash it with soap and water.

2. All trash and toys are brought in the from car - immediately when we get home. I typically tell myself that during nap time I will go back out to the car and bring in all the stuff. And then I usually forget until the next time we go somewhere.

3. Beds get made. I actually do like to make my bed everyday but when the in-laws are here, I make sure to do it - just in case the bedroom door happens to get pushed open.

4. Vacuum stairs. This is a chore I really hate doing but I love the results. It is saved for special occasions, i.e. the in-laws

5. Vacuum the dog hair from under the ottoman. Just in case we decide to move furniture around for sleeping arrangements.

6. Change sheets. Of course this is a no-brainer. But I'm not going to lie. Last time they came I didn't change the sheets. I'm pretty sure they were the last visitors any way.

7. Vacuum the dining room. Our dining room is tucked away and we don't typically eat there. I usually ignore it on my regular weekly routine. But I'm pretty sure our cat sleeps on the chairs during the day. Must be cleaned for visitors.

8. Pick up all dirty clothes and toys after a bath. I like to pretend that clothes go immediately in the dirty clothes and that bath toys are left to dry on the side of the tub. Not always the case.

I know there are so many other things I do during the in-laws visit that aren't always typical for me. You know, pick up toys, clean the dishes, feed the kids lots of vegetables. Trying to be the best version of me that I can be.

I wonder if I've fooled them?

Blog guilt

As a mother, every little thing can make you feel guilty. Going out with friends while your husband watches the kids (even though he just played golf for 6 hours while you stayed home by yourself on a Saturday). Feeding your kids McDonald's. Looking forward to nap time. Napping during nap time. Turning off the monitor for just 5 more minutes of sleep during nap time. Putting your 9 month old in front of the TV so you can go to the bathroom. And the list could go on and on...

But I never expected that a blog would bring me guilt. Especially not a blog that I very much enjoy writing. But that is exactly what has happened.

A few weeks ago, my son decided that he was going to start the process of dropping of his morning nap. Every morning, I would anxiously await for him to show his tired signs - rubbing eyes, getting crabby, etc. I am pretty obsessed with trying to make sure that my kids don't get overtired because then we all suffer. But by 9:30, no signs of sleepiness. 9:45 - still nothing. 10:00 - despite him playing happily, I scooped him up and went ahead with the nap time routine - diaper change, failed attempt to read a book, nurse, sing, put in crib, leave the room. Thirty minutes later, he finally falls asleep. And then sleeps for 3 hours!!

Funny how this SHOULD be a positive thing. If he was my only child, I would have been celebrating. But not with two. Right about the time my daughter is ready for her nap, he is waking up - well-rested and ready to go for hours. Right about the time he is getting grumpy again, it's time for my daughter to wake up. And where does that leave me? With NO time to myself. No cleaning the house time. No Bible study time. No watching Ellen time. No blogging time.

Before I knew it, two weeks had gone by with no blog post. Every day, I would promise myself that as soon as the kids went to bed, I would blog. But then I was just too tired.

And then, I started to feel the guilt. I might as well not even continue the blog if I can't post regularly. I started to imagine all my readers wondering what happened to me. (When in reality, I am pretty sure my Mom is the only reader anxiously awaiting a new post). Most people probably didn't even notice I had dropped off the face of the blogging world. I started wondering why I had even started to blog and was feeling embarrassed that I couldn't get it together. So I decided to just quit.

But then I realized something - this is supposed to be fun, right? The whole point of this blogging thing is to give me an outlet to write and record the funny things in my life. It doesn't really matter if I have any readers at all. So, I'm back. Maybe not as often as I would like, but I have so many stories in my head that I can't wait to tell. Hope you enjoy reading them Mom!

We have a tooth!



Finally, my son got my first tooth!



Honestly, I had given up looking for it. I had even given up blaming fussiness on teeth (almost). You see, my daughter didn't get her first tooth until almost 10 months. And when her teeth did come it, they were far from perfect. So, I just expected that our children must have weird teeth genes.



I'm not sure where they would get it. I have never had braces or any major problems with my teeth. Growing up, I never had any cavities or work done on my teeth. My husband also has a beautiful smile. Of course, he does call his smile The Million Dollar Smile. I guess it has something to do with the baby teeth that never fell out or the mouthful of veneers or the FIVE years of braces.



So honestly, I wasn't surprised when every time I would check my son's bottom gums I didn't see any signs of teeth. It never occured to me to look for teeth on top - babies always get those two cute little teeth on the bottom first. I even had a friend ask me a few weeks ago if his top teeth were coming in. No, of course not, he hasn't even gotten his bottom teeth yet.



But I was wrong. His first tooth popped through just last week. And guess which one it was. The top tooth. But not even a top middle tooth. The top tooth beside the middle tooth! My son is a snaggle tooth.



I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Weird teeth just run in the genes around here....



Not that I'm blaming anyone.

I Need a Time-Out

As a modern day preschool teacher, time-out is not my favorite form of discipline. I do believe that every now and then, a good old-fashioned time-out is in order. But most of the time, I try to use more natural consequences. You know, if you don't ask politely, you don't get what you want. If you spit your milk, you get it taken away. If you run from Mommy in the store, you have to ride in the buggy. I also try really hard to give my daughter a second chance to make a good decision; she is, after all, just learning what is expected of her. But even though I have had lots of practice with discipline as a teacher of Deaf preschoolers, sometimes I am not really sure what the appropriate consequence would be - and this is when I usually decide to try time-out.

Over the past few weeks, my daughter's "two-year-old-ness" has really been shining through. I have resorted to time-out a total of two times, and this is how that went:

First attempt: Last week, the weather was finally bearable. So, we all went to play outside. My son and I sat on a blanket in the shade, and my daughter was pretending to drive to Texas in her little red car. At this point, I can't even remember the specifics about what upset my daughter, but I do remember that she decided to yell at me. I just remember her yelling, "NO" at me. Now, because I always believe in warnings, I calmly stated, "I cannot accept you yelling at me. If you yell again, you will have to have a time-out from your toys." (sounds like a teacher, huh?) She looked at me for a moment. Then, let out a very obviously pretend yell and then exclaims, "I need a time-out" as she plopped down beside me to pay her debt. Somehow, that didn't really feel all that effective.

Second attempt: Another fantastic behavior to recently come into our household is hitting. Although, I am glad to say that I think the phase is already almost over. But for a few days last week, I got hit A LOT. So, one day when we were playing in my daughter's room, she got mad about something and raised her hand to hit me. I stopped her half-way by giving her a good mom stare and saying, "If you hit me, you will have a time-out" (there's that warning again). Of course, in a test of my parenting, she went ahead and hit me. Being that I hadn't really thought this through, I swept her up and quickly scanned the room for a good time-out spot. Nothing. The floor was covered in toys and way too much fun to be good for a time-out. So, I whipped her around the corner and sat her right outside of her door. Immediately, she begins wailing. I tried to pretend that she was crying because she was so upset that she was in time-out. At least that would mean the punishment was a little more effective this time. But I was pretty sure that on the way to the ground, I had hit her back against the corner of the door. Maybe, just maybe, she hadn't noticed. She was doing one of those cries where no words can come out, so I couldn't know why she was really so upset. But she was upset. And loud. And again, because I hadn't really thought this whole thing through, I had put her in the hallway only a few feet from my sleeping son's room. She was wailing and I wasn't willing to wake him up. So, I let maybe 15 seconds pass before I ask, "Are you ready to try again?" "NO!" she cries. Great. Now, I have to follow through and leave her in time-out. Please, don't let her wake up her brother! Another 15 seconds go by. "Are you ready to try again?" "Yes," she whimpers, while holding her back. "Did I hit your back?" Of course, I did, and I know it. So, I apologize and give her a hug. Again, not so sure that was effective.

Needless to say, I haven't tried time-out again.

Those Magical Numbers

As a mother of two young children, I have to confess something: I don't really like having a newborn. Don't get me wrong. There isn't much better than holding your sweet, tiny newborn in your arms. I have felt overwhelming love for both of my children from the moment they were born. In fact, I felt that love the whole 9 months I carried them in my tummy.

But, I can still admit that having a newborn is one of my least favorite things. When I found out I was pregnant with my second child, I was most overwhelmed by the thought of having another newborn so soon. I felt like I had just made it out of the dark ages. In fact, I had just made it out. My daughter's first birthday was the day of my LMP, and therefore, the beginning of the 40 week countdown to a newborn. And for me, the first birthday is a major milestone.

Once my son was actually here, and I was walking him around the house for the one-hundredth time, I remember thinking, "If we can just make it to 3 months, things will get easier." And we did, and they did. And although I try to cherish every precious moment with my children because I know they will grow up too fast, there is a secret side of me that lives for those first year milestones; one step closer to that fabulous first birthday.

3 Months: The first of the great milestones. This is the point (in theory) that fussiness starts to slow down. Finally, my babies are happier for more than 5 minutes at time. This means fewer trips walking around the house, bouncing the baby, and maybe a few dinners actually sitting at the table.

4 Months: Old enough (according to some people, me included) to let a baby cry-it-out when going to sleep. That doesn't mean Mommy is ready, but at least you don't have to feel as guilty when you turn the monitor off just for a few moments of silence.

6 Months: Half-way there! Probably sitting up. This may seem like a tiny accomplishment, but it means so much as a mother. Finally, you can set the baby down, even on hard floors. They can ride in the grocery cart and sit in high chairs! Hard to explain why this is so great; trust me, it is. And solids are great too. I am finally not the only source of food and that is so freeing.

8 Months: It just gets better! I really do love 8 months! This is the moment when you start to realize that your baby is understanding LOTS. Their personality starts to shine and are easily entertained. Plus, finger foods start about now. Sometimes you just need to be able to occupy a baby with a graham cracker.

1 year: All the hard work has paid off. Baby is starting to communicate, eats regular food, drinks regular milk, sleeps through most nights, and is endlessly entertaining.

And it just gets better. Everyday is better than the last. In fact, today is really fantastic - my son is 8 months old today. I can't believe we made it, but here we are. Although I look at his newborn pictures and wonder where my little baby has gone, I can't help but be pretty happy right where we are.

A-Camping We Will Go

For my daughter's 2nd birthday, she received a kid's camping set. Fun, right? At first, that is what I thought. It seemed like a great gift! I used to love making forts and tents as a kid, and when I was a teacher, the students loved when we did a camping theme and set up a tent in the room for reading and playing. The preschool teacher side of me loves stuff like this. I studied early childhood so I could do things like this - have a theme and set up fun, hands-on activities for the kids to do all week. For camping, we would set up a tent, build a fake fire, go on hikes around the school, eat marshmallows, read books about camping, pretend to go fishing, etc. I LOVED it. In fact, although I personally feel that I am supposed to be at home raising my children, I must admit that every now and then, I miss teaching preschool and all the fun ideas I could come up with.

So, why not do these awesome activities at home with my children? When I was pregnant with my daughter I honestly believed that staying at home with her would be just like having a preschool in my home. I dreamed of doing weekly crafts, art projects, and even themed snacks. Yet, somehow my dreams of an incredibly creative, stimulating environment have given way to real life. Sure, I still fill my kids days with plenty of stimulating activities - we paint, we sing, we dance, we read, we do science experiments in the bathtub and we have a lot of fun. But we also do laundry and vacuum and go to the grocery store. In her two and a half years of life, we have probably only done a handful of crafts and very little theme based play.

Until this week. Honestly, I have kind of been avoiding the tent. Not sure why because I really was excited to receive it. I think it just seemed bigger than I could handle. But this past weekend, I finally braved the tent. Oh, how I wish I had done it earlier! It has been so much fun. She has been playing in it almost non-stop. And it even motivated me to build a pretend fire for her to roast marshmallows. I bought her a book about camping and we have been talking non-stop about camping. I am even trying to convince my husband to take her camping for real. (Notice I am not planning on being included in this fabulous learning experience)

And the tent has even come with an unforeseen bonus: naps. As I think I have posted before, my daughter does not take regular naps (even though she really needs them). She has a rest time everyday where she must stay in her bed, but she only occasionally falls asleep. She usually just plays in her bed for a couple of hours. So, when she asked to nap in her tent on the first day, I was more than a little hesitant. But, I figured, it can't be much worse than her bed because she doesn't sleep in there either. I agreed but with strict rules that she could not bring any toys into her tent. And guess what? She slept!! In fact, in the last five days she has slept four - in her tent! I had every intention of letting her nap in the tent for a few days before I took it down. But now, I just can't bring myself to do it. I am enjoying this extra sleep (for me and her) too much. I may never take it down. Surely it's okay to let a child take naps in tent forever, right? Although I can't get my hopes up. Next week, I am sure I will report that naps are once again a thing of the past. But for now, I am getting what I can. And I will do it as long as it works.

Motivation

I'm having one of those super motivated afternoons. You know the kind where you feel like you could conquer the world (and your kids and household). I get these feelings every now and then and always swear that this time I really will keep up with everything I need to do. I usually make a series of lists (I obsessively write lists even on ordinary days) and prepare to get back in a routine. I think my motivation today was a direct result of both of my kids napping for over 2 hours - at the same time! Here is a list of some of the things I decided to change in my life:

1. I will clean up the kitchen COMPLETELY every night after dinner. That includes wiping down the high chair and removing random pieces of food from the kid's seats (i.e. dumping it on the floor so the dog can eat it)

2. I will be better about making my daughter pick up her toys immediately after she uses them instead of having a huge cleaning party every couple of days

3. I will do my Bible study every day. I started a One Year Bible study almost exactly one year ago. I picked up the study in the middle, on August 21st, and am currently on the readings for December 20th. At this rate it will only take me three more years to complete it.

4. I will lose these last 15 pounds. This is a post of it's own.

5. I will follow my cleaning schedule. I have an elaborate house cleaning schedule that includes "zones" and daily chores. I'm pretty sure my favorite part of this cleaning routine was making the schedule and all of the lists that go with it.

6. I will vacuum the house twice a week.....no, I probably won't.

7. I will wipe down my bathroom counters everyday after taking my shower and putting on make-up. I used to do this before kids and it really does make a huge difference in your life - especially if you shed like me.

8. I will exercise. When? I haven't quite figured that out yet.

9. I will put away clothes as soon as they are out of the dryer. I will no longer throw clothes that I know are clean into the dirty clothes basket just because I don't feel like hanging them up.


Just a few of my motivations for today. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

Mom's Best Friend

Almost every time I am at another mom's house, she at some point apologizes for the way her house looks. Maybe it's the dirty dishes still in the kitchen sink, or the wet diaper that hasn't made it to the trash can yet. Sometimes they apologize for the massive amounts of toys that I have to step over or the crusty food that is on the ground under the dining table. And occasionally, I will be warned before I have to open a door that she had strategically left shut - you know, the door to the room that guests aren't supposed to ever see so you throw everything in there and don't worry about cleaning it.

What the other moms don't realize, is that nothing makes me happier than to visit another mom's house that is just as messy as mine. Or even better, to visit a house that is messier than mine. I have to admit that I get just a little satisfaction in knowing that I am not the only one living on the brink of chaos.

Any one who knows me (especially anyone who has ever lived with me) knows that I am not the neatest person. In fact, I can get really, really messy. But the funny thing is, I have always loved organizing and really DO enjoy living in a clean house. Yet, no matter how hard I try, it seems impossible to keep everything picked up. This is really hard to explain to those people who are naturally neat. I just can't do it.

As my mom friends are apologizing for their messy house (which secretly makes me happy), they are failing to notice that we are not sitting at my house. Even though I know they don't expect my house to be clean, I still have trouble letting people come over if our house hasn't at least been vacuumed to remove all the dog hair. But I always reassure my friends, saying, "Trust me. My house is just as messy as yours." Except for one thing. I don't have food on my floors.

And, no, this isn't because I have some great obsession with cleaning my floors or because my kids are just really neat eaters. This is because I have a dog. A big, annoying lab/husky mix that I don't really pay much attention to until meal time. Every time I drop something on the floor, she comes running over to eat it up. In fact, even if she doesn't come running right away, I just leave whatever I dropped on the floor, knowing she will eventually be by to pick up after me. Saves me a lot of time and energy. Just the other day, I dropped an entire bowl of baby cereal upside down on the floor. No problem here. Just called in the dog and she licked it right up. Gross, huh? Well, at least my floors are clean.

Now, if I could just figure out how to keep her from shedding, she might be the best thing I own.

Sick Day

It's been a long time since I have blogged. So many reasons. First, the Internet at our house was broken. Then, we got really busy in the evenings and I couldn't bring myself to type so late at night. Then, we were preparing for a week-long vacation. Then, we left for a week-long vacation. And then we came home from vacation 2 days early because we were sick. And that's where we are right now - at home, still sick.

Really sick, too. Like 102 degree fever for an 11 hour drive with one sick baby and a broken DVD player sick.

Too sick to take care of the kids. Which is a problem when you are a stay-at-home mom and that is your job. We don't get sick days like everyone else. I can't call my boss and explain in an overly dramatic sick voice that I can't come in to work and then spend the day sleeping and watching TV. Instead, I have to hope that my husband doesn't have a super important meeting that day. Luckily, my husband was planning on being on vacation today anyways, and he willingly volunteered to stay home.

And yet, I still didn't just get to spend my day sleeping and watching TV. Don't get me wrong. I tried. But at 8:00 this morning I could hear the baby squealing downstairs. I tried to tune it out but I kept wondering, "What if he needs me and my husband is just trying to hold out because he doesn't want to disturb me?" So, I went downstairs to check; of course, he was just fine without me.

In fact, the whole day would have been just fine without me. But as a mother, it is REALLY hard to just sit on the couch and watch your husband take care of the house and the kids. I was feeling pretty lousy, yet, I couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty that I was catching up on all my Tivo'ed shows while someone else was doing my job. It is my job. Currently my identity is Mom. Really tough to let someone else do it - especially if they don't do it exactly the way I do. My daughter wore her pajamas all day. In fact, so did my son. The only thing served for lunch was chicken nuggets. Nap was a little later than usual. But, you know what? My husband spent almost the entire day on the floor playing with the kids. Playing pretend store and shooting the basketball and having a lot of fun. Made me remember that my job is a lot of fun. I can't play all day everyday because there is other stuff to be done. And I do think we should wear real clothes on most days. But honestly, I have the world's best job. Even if I don't get any sick days.

Good Mommy Monday

For today's Monday post, I wanted to write down a few more cute things my daughter has been saying recently.

* My daughter LOVES to make-up songs. And honestly, they are pretty good songs. They always have good rhythm and sometimes even rhyme (even if they don't make sense). A few days ago she was singing, "I love to toot, I love to toot, I love to toot all daaaayyy!"

* We went to a birthday party a few weeks ago, and the kids got to hit a pinata. That night in the bathtub, we were discussing her day and asked her if she enjoyed the pinata. She replied, "Yes, I had fun at the fiesta!" Neither my husband or myself had said anything about a fiesta. I guess Dora does teach her something.

* I had to measure my daughter last week for some new clothes. I got the measuring tape and told her to come so I could measure her. She ran into the bathroom and came back saying, "Here Mommy, I brought you a measuring cup!"

* Today during nap, I heard her saying, "Mommy, I have a bunny hanging out! Help!" I was so confused so I went to see what was wrong. She had a wedgie and was telling me that a "bunny" was hanging out.

I wish I could remember all of the incredibly bright and silly things she says. I know this time will pass us quickly and I want to savor every moment. I can't believe how she can soak up so much after only 2 short years of life. I don't how you can look at a 2 year old and not believe in God. He has blessed me greatly!

P.S. My son does lots of cute and amazing things too. I'll save him for another post.

One of those days

Yesterday was one of those days. I guess it all really started the night before. Thursday is Bible study night so we were out late at our friends' house. Our son had a little bit of a runny nose but seemed to be feeling alright. In fact, he was in a pretty good mood during our study, even as it approached 9:00. When we got home, he went to bed fairly easily and I felt satisfied that I had such an easy baby who could just go with the flow and not be too affected. My mistake.



It all started going downhill around 11:00. I heard him crying on the monitor but decided to let him cry a little bit; maybe he would go back to sleep on his own. After about 15 minutes his screaming got really intense so I went to get him. Of course, my first plan of action was to nurse him back him to sleep. That was NOT what he wanted. He was arching his back and screaming, refusing to nurse. This is when I start to semi-panic. Something must be really wrong if he isn't going to nurse. And how am I going to console him? Rocking didn't work. Walking didn't work. Changing his diaper didn't work. Watching TV didn't work. Going outside didn't work. My husband and I were desperate. As soon as we would get him to calm down a little, he would start back up again. Eventually I was able to nurse him, which did calm him down briefly. But soon, the whole thing started again. So, I had no other choice but to put him in the car and drive around. That's right. At 1:30 am I was driving around town. I think the last time I was driving around at that hour was in college. In fact, I drove by all the bars and was just amazed at all the young, dressed up folks out in the middle of the night! It seemed like such a different world that I barely remember being a part of.


Any ways, the drive worked and we finally got to sleep around 3:00. But then, wouldn't you know it, he was up at 7:45 ready to start his day. I was exhausted so I decided we would have a very low key day. We were going to stay home and make sure the kids (and myself) got good naps in their beds. In fact, I even decided to skip a birthday party at the local wading pool. You know it's serious if I decide to not take an opportunity to get out of the house and do something fun to make the day go by faster. The morning went pretty well - we played in our little plastic pool and my son took a decent nap.



The afternoon went downhill again. By this time, I was so tired that all I could think about was sleeping. I hadn't showered all day, and I honestly didn't care. My plan was to have the kids down for naps as early as possible and go straight to bed. I got my daughter in bed and then my son went to sleep after only a few minutes of crying. Once again, I was celebrating. I closed my eyes and as soon as I fell asleep, I hear crying. I tried to ignore it. I put my finger in my ear and turned over. I didn't care if he was crying; I just needed to sleep. But I couldn't. I just cried. And then decided I had to suck it up and go get him. But I was mad. So I decided another trip in the car was in order. My daughter was playing in her bed instead of sleeping (no surprise) so I grabbed her and we all got in the car. He was asleep immediately and I wanted Sonic for the drive. I got a Coke for myself and a slush to entertain my daughter. I honestly wanted the biggest cheeseburger and french fries I could find, but I was somehow able to not destroy my diet through emotional eating and we drove for about an hour. After a short trip to Hobby Lobby, my son woke again. He was briefly happy but soon started the wailing again.

This continued most of the evening and my husband and I were completely convinced he had an ear infection. For all you non-moms out there, if a child isn't teething, his pain is probably caused by an ear infection. So, we filled him full of Motrin and put him to bed, prepared for another long night. But amazingly, he slept well most of the night, only waking once to nurse and went easily back to sleep. In fact, he slept until 9 the next morning and woke as happy as could be. Guess he didn't have an ear infection.

We better get a tooth out of this....

A little fit

Today was a wonderful day. One of those days that makes you realize life is SO good. But, of course, it didn't go off without a hitch. Getting all four of us out of the house to run errands always takes longer than it should. Why is it so hard to get two children and all their stuff to the car? It seems like we have to take everything we own. To be prepared for any situation that might arise. So, I was trying to get all of the diapers, extra clothes, baby food, pull-ups, wipes and strollers into the car.

I realized the double stroller was in the garage, in front of my husband's car. He and the kids were already strapped in the car and I wanted his opinion about whether it was worth getting it out. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Do you think we need the double stroller? Because it is in front of your car.

Him: I don't care it's up to you.

Me: (As I am trying to stuff things in the diaper bag) Damn it! (This comment had nothing to do with the stroller)

I went into the garage and got the stroller by taking it in the house and around through the front door because that was easier than moving my husband's car. As I come out of the front door our conversation continues.

Him: What are you doing? I could have moved the car. I didn't know you were getting it.

Me: You said I could decide, and you saw me walking to the garage.

Him: Why are you throwing a fit?

Me: I'm not throwing a fit. It was just easier to take the stroller through the house.

Him: You said, "Damn it!"

Me: I know. That had nothing to do with the stroller.

Conversation over. I put the stroller in the car and got in.

Daughter: You throwing a fit, Mommy?

Wow. Called out by my daughter. But truthfully I wasn't throwing a fit. "No, honey. It was just a misunderstanding between Mommy and Daddy"

Daughter: Oh, Daddy wanted to do it himself.

What a very observant child. Just proves that we really have to be careful what we say and do around her. And that maybe I was throwing just a little bit of a fit.

Letters to Moms

To the Mom with her baby asleep in the grocery cart:
How do you do that? I have never, ever been successful at getting my children to sleep anywhere except in their cribs or in the car. Once they pass a few months old, all of my errands must revolve around nap. As soon as they wake up, it is a mad dash to get out of the house and back before the next nap time. Not to say I don't usually push the limits.



To the Mom who brought your snotty nose child to my classroom:
I am sorry. I was really mad at you because I didn't have children yet and I didn't really realize that sometimes you just have to take a child with a runny nose somewhere. Or else you would never go anywhere.



To the Mom who brought your child that recently vomited to my classroom:
I am still mad at you. I don't do throw up and it is not okay to expose me to the stomach virus. It's 24 hours with no symptoms (or more if you can help it)



To the Mom whose newborn sleeps through the night:
I am jealous of you. But I realize that it has nothing to do with how great of a parent you are. You are lucky. Maybe I will be lucky next time.



To the Mom who gained the recommended 25-35 pounds during pregnancy:
You must not like cheeseburgers as much as I do. I will try harder next time.



To the Mom who works out on a regular basis:
I guess you will just have to be skinnier than me because I really can't seem to find time to workout. It is not an excuse. I have no idea how you fit that into your schedule except on a random, once every couple of weeks, basis.



To the Mom who gets up and showers before her children are awake:
I could do this too. I choose sleep instead.


To the Mom who doesn't put their faith in Jesus:
You are really missing out on the ultimate support. Being a mother revolves around prayer. Prayer for your children and for your family. Today I even prayed for a nap.



To the Mom who feeds her children only Organic, non-processed foods:
Although I am embarrassed to admit it to your face, I feed my kids lots of non-organic, processed foods. They are easier and usually cheaper. I do believe in feeding good things to my family and I will try to do better in this area. But I'm still going to McDonalds


To the Mom of only one child:
Enjoy your time with one child. I know it is really difficult. Having your first child turns your world upside down. Just wait until the next one. It gets even harder.


To the Mom of 3 or more children:
You are probably laughing at me right now. You are probably thinking, "Just wait until you have 3 kids. Then it really gets hard." I am sure you are right, and I will plan to eat my words as soon as my next child is born.


To the Mom of twins or triplets:
You are my hero. I am not sure how you do it. You, by far, have the hardest job in the world. I used to think it would be fun to have twins. Now, I am pretty sure I would cry if I found out I was pregnant with multiples.


To all my Mommy friends:
Thanks for being my friends and being imperfect along with me. It feels good to know I am not alone. I love you all so much and each of you makes my life richer. It is so much better to leave the house a mess and go do something fun with you and your kids. We will never get these years back and I plan on making the best of them.


To all my future Mommy friends:
Although it may appear this way from the outside, being a mommy does not ruin your life. In fact, nothing could make it more worthwhile. I wish the joys of mommyhood for all of you.


To my Mom:
Thank you so much for everything you ever did for me. I especially think of all the times I kept you up at night with my tummy issues. You never let me know how much you probably wanted to be asleep. Thanks for letting me think I was the most important thing in the world. I hope I can make my children feel the same way - even in the middle of the night. I love you.

ME

6 Month Check-up

Last week, my son turned 6 months old and we went to the doctor for his well baby visit. I am not really sure why, but I always look forward to routine doctor visits with my kids. I love to see how much they weigh and how tall they are. There is just something so exciting about finding out their current percentile! Of course, this is totally ridiculous. The percentiles don't really mean anything. Being at the top is no better than being at the bottom. There have to be kids in all areas of the bell curve or the curve wouldn't exist at all. Yet, I still find some pride in knowing where my kids fall. It doesn't matter where they fall; I am proud of the top or the bottom. And as soon as I leave my appointment, I call my mom to let her know how the grandkids are growing.

So, here are the current stats. At 6 months, my son weighs 20lbs 6ozs! That is the 91st percentile folks! That means only 9% of babies his age are fatter than he is. And those babies are probably taller. He measured 27.7 inches long, which falls in the 71st percentile. Looks like he's going to be a linebacker - or just a chubby, little taller than average kid. Normally, fatness isn't something to be proud of; but, I find myself loving my chunky baby.



I also love my petite two-year-old. At 6 months, she weighed 14lbs 10 ozs! That is only the 3rd percentile. In fact, for a while we were concerned she was going to fall off of the bell curve completely. At 6 months, my son weighs more than my daughter did at her 18month check-up. In fact, she only outweighs him now by about 2 or 3 pounds. I have a feeling he will be passing her by pretty soon.



Now, I totally realize that the size of my children is genetically predetermined for the most part. I have little influence on how big or small they will be. In fact, I have been feeding them the exact same thing. But I just can't help loving that my two kids are on complete opposites of the growth chart. And I just can't help bragging either.

In addition to growing well, the doctor said the baby looked healthy. He also received his vaccinations. Don't ask me which ones he got because honestly I don't know. I usually just blindly let the nurse administer whatever she brings in the room. I am 100% in favor of vaccines and I tend to believe the doctors are on top of our medical care. And I'm not even going to lie - I don't totally hate the day after vaccines because I usually get a little extra nap time from the baby. In fact, my son slept until almost 10:00 the next morning!! Not a bad side effect, huh?

Oh, and by the way, no teeth yet.

Open doors

I locked my daughter in the bathroom yesterday. No, she didn't lock herself in the bathroom. I locked her in the bathroom. But not on purpose. She was using the potty and decided that she wanted some privacy. I thought that was a reasonable request so I shut the door and went about my business in the kitchen. After a few minutes, I decided to check on her. I walked over to the door and turned the handle. The handle didn't turn. My first reaction was panic. "Oh my gosh! My daughter is locked in the bathroom and I don't have a key!" Immediately I thought of what would be even worse than locking her in there in the first place - calling my husband. I am sure he would be thrilled to get the phone call that I had not only locked our little girl in the bathroom, but that he might have to come home to rescue her. Oh no. I had to come up with a plan. So, I casually call in to my daughter, "Hey Sweetie. I can't open the door. Are you done? Can you get down from the potty?" This was the first problem. My daughter inherited my short legs and I was pretty sure she couldn't get off by herself. But of course, being a very independent 2 year-old, she replied, "Yes, Mommy. You can't open the door?" "No, Honey. Can you open the door?" Yeah, right. Not only does she also have short arms that barely reach above her head, but we have also purposely omitted any lessons in opening doors. I seriously dread the day she can get out of her bedroom on her own. Any way, I knew she wouldn't be able to get herself out so I had to have another plan. Well, thank goodness for chopsticks. I went to the kitchen, dug a chopstick out of the bottom of the drawer, stuck it in the doorknob, and it popped open! "I not done Mommy! Close the door!" So, I left again but, this time I didn't latch the door - just closed it most of the way. When she was done, I helped her off the potty and left the room again, pretending to close the door behind me. My daughter happily swings the door open, so proud of herself. "I did it Mommy!" "Yes, you did! Good job!" And I let her believe she had learned how to open the door all by herself. We'll save that lesson for another day.

We have to clean-up - the cleaners are coming!

This year for my birthday, I received a wonderful gift - cleaning service. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I actually remember saying to my husband that I was looking forward to being home all of the time so I could actually keep up with the housework. Ha! Wow, was I naive. It would seem that spending all day at home, it wouldn't be too hard to keep the house in order. But of course, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Maintaining a household with young children is VERY hard. I especially felt this after my son was born. He was a terrible sleeper and naps were non-existent unless they took place in my arms. I didn't have a single moment for anything but taking care of my kids. And even that was difficult to do successfully.

I called a local cleaning agency and they came over to give me a quote. They had a minimum of 10 visits and I signed up for bi-monthly service. Funny side note: They advertised their cleaning every two weeks as bi-weekly service. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that would mean twice weekly cleaning, right? Anyway, the service has been a much needed break from cleaning. I can (try) to keep up with picking up the house, laundry and dishes and not worry about things like cleaning the shower.

There is one thing about having a cleaning service that I maybe wasn't prepared for. You have to clean the house before the cleaners come. I don't want even the cleaners to know the true state of our house. So every second Wednesday, I make an announcement, "We have to clean the house! The cleaners are coming!" All the toys on the living room floor are picked up. The dirty clothes are moved to the laundry room. The dishes in the sink are put in the dishwasher. The wet diaper on the bathroom floor is thrown away. The breakfast dishes are finally moved from the table. Toiletries are thrown in drawers. Cups are collected from throughout the house. We make it appear as though we actually know how to pick up after ourselves. And when the cleaners leave, the house looks spotless. And that lasts about 5 minutes until we resume our daily life. Oh well, a perfect house is something I gave up on with the birth of my first child.

Things I probably shouldn't know

When you first become a Mommy, there is so much you don't know. It is so scary to bring that first newborn home; you have so many questions and nobody really has any answers. Everyone just says that you will "figure it out" And it is so true. You learn so many new things just by being a Mommy. You learn how to take care of a child and fit this new blessing into your existing life. You learn so many new things. Here are a few things I have learned that I probably shouldn't even know.

1. Newborns sleep best either in your bed or in your arms

2. Jellybeans are a great way to convince a toddler to go poop on the potty.

3. Thirty minutes of Dora will guarantee that my daughter isn't going anywhere. If I need to get something done, such as put my son down for a nap, I just have to put on Dora. I feel completely confident that she won't be getting into anything.

4. Dora will also occupy a 3 month old when trying to get the other child dressed and ready to head out the door.

5. One diaper will last through an entire night for a baby - usually.

6. The cost of a meal for myself and my daughter at McDonald's is $10.10

7. A long drive will help you avoid struggling to get the baby to nap.

8. If you have a toddler, a Sonic drink will satisfy her while driving the baby around for a nap.

9. My daughter's favorite Sonic drink is a Cherry Limeade.

10. Milk that has been sitting out in a sippy cup for most of the day won't make your child sick

11. Eating watercolors won't make her sick either

12. Individual Horizon Vanilla Milk is a great way to get a toddler to enjoy the grocery store

13. My son will play in his crib for at least 30 minutes in the morning

14. Samples (and a milk) at the grocery store are enough to fill a toddler so she doesn't need a separate lunch

15. Frozen chicken nuggets are microwaved 30 seconds on each side

16. Gymbucks redemption starts July 15th (July 14th if you are a rewards member)

He must be teething

One thing I have learned since I have become a mom is that everything can be blamed on teething. And I mean everything. Fussy baby - teething. Not sleeping - teething. Drooling - teething. Refusal to eat - teething. Diarrhea, fever, runny nose - all teething. Before I had children, I probably would have thought it was ridiculous to blame everything on teething. But I have recently found myself convinced my son is teething. I mean he has been drooling excessively for weeks now. And it is about that time for him to sprout his first teeth. Of course, I can see no teeth and I don't really have any good reason to believe his teeth will be coming soon. My daughter starting drooling at 2 months and didn't get teeth until she was 10 months old. But, without fail, every time we are out in public and someone sees my son's soaked shirt and wet chin, they always comment, "He must be teething!" I used to explain that he probably wasn't because my daughter drooled too and, late teeth run in the family. But then one day he was fussy and I thought to myself, "Well, maybe he is teething." And then the next night he woke up every 2 hours. And one time he refused to nurse. And his gums do look a little red. So, I have become convinced - he must be teething.



My daughter never had much trouble with teething so I never really needed any remedies. But this time around, I have discovered teething tablets. These are wonderful! For those of you that don't know, they are a homeopathic tablet that dissolves in the mouth and is supposed to help with teething. I have no idea if these really work. Trust me, I am the first person to be suspect of any thing "natural." I am a medicine kind of girl. But I do love the idea of having something I can give my son and not feel guilty. They are like a security blanket. I obviously have no idea if he is really teething, but I can give him a few tablets before bed - just in case. The first night I gave them to him, he slept 7 hours! He hasn't done that in months! So of course, the next night I was too afraid to NOT give him the tablets. What if he is teething and they really do work? I can't risk a bad nights sleep. Again, he slept 7 hours! And then yesterday, was a little bit of a fussy day. Must be that teething again. So last night before bed, I was really worried about his sleep. So, not only did he get tablets but a dose of Motrin as well. I confess. I gave my son medicine without really knowing if his teeth were bothering him or not. I don't even know if he really is teething. But somehow, I have let those strangers at the grocery store convince me. He must be teething. What else could it be? Every mom knows, teething is the cause of everything.

Good Mommy Monday

Today, I want to dedicate my Monday post to some of the funny, sweet and special things my daughter says and does. It isn't so much about me as a Mommy. Rather, it is just a good way to record the everyday humor that happens in the house with a two-year-old. I always think I am going to remember every little moment but I know that unless I write down the milestones, they will become fuzzy. I used to think my mom had a really bad memory for my childhood. She claims she can't remember if I crawled! How can you forget that, right? Well, I now know that it is so easy to forget all the details. Mom brain will do that to you every time. So, I am going to do my best to try to remember some cute things my very precocious two year old has said recently.

* A few months ago, we went to the furniture store to buy a new big girl bed. As we are checking out, my daughter says to the salesman, "I want to pick my nose!"

* When I told her we were going to a place with a merry-go-round, she asked, "You have money, Mommy?" She knows I never have any change for the rides at the mall.

* She has been insisting we call her Dora. We also get in trouble if we don't call her little brother Boots the Monkey

* She is afraid of flushing toilets in public. So, next time you go into a bathroom at a restaurant and it hasn't been flushed, it might have been us. I have to promise her we won't flush it in order to get her to use the potty in public.

* Sometimes when she is frustrated, she will throw the toy that is making her mad. She usually announces it first, "I want to throw this toy!"

* When on vacation in Tennessee, we saw a bear in the woods. She told us, "Bears are very wild. Bears are very nice" My husband told her that bears are mean. She insisted, "No, bears are very nice. They might bite you. Bears are very nice."

* When singing Old McDonald with my husband before bed, he let her pick out which animal to sing about next. So, he sang, "Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O, and on that farm he had a ....." "A toot! " She exclaimed and laughed at how funny she was.

* At least 5 times a day, she says, "I love you SO much, Mommy!" And then she gives me a huge hug and kiss. That is the best feeling in the whole world and makes being a Mom the best job I could ever have



To be continued......as soon as I remember what else I wanted to write.

Early Bird

I have always been a good sleeper. Not only do I enjoy my sleep, I NEED my sleep. According to my parents, it took me days to recover from slumber parties when I was younger. Yet, as much as I love to sleep, I also love to stay up late. I just really enjoy that time in the evening after the kids have gone to bed, watching TV or reading in my jammies. So, I love to sleep in. Although it has been many years since I slept until noon, I still have a pretty firm belief that anything before 8 seems early. Maybe by luck, or maybe through a little training, my first child likes to sleep in too. She usually sleeps until at least 8:30, and I must admit if she wakes up before 8 I feel a little annoyed. Why is she up so early?!? When I only had one child, I would wake up early about once a month for one reason or another. And I always said to myself, "I should do this more often! Look at all the things I can get done before she wakes up!" Yet, I always changed my mind the next morning as soon as the alarm went off. I was getting used to my slow mornings as a stay-at-home mom.

And then my son was born. Somehow, he did not get the sleep-in gene. I probably should have screened for that when getting married. As a newborn, he would sometimes wake up before 5:00, ready to play. I half-way accepted this and hoped he would soon fall into a more normal routine. And he did. Normal for most people that is. But to me, 7:00 is still way too early to be up. In fact, I have a rule that if he gets up before 7:00, I put him back in his bed after I nurse him. He almost always talks for a few minutes and then falls back asleep for a short while.

So, this morning when he was chatting away in his crib at 6:15, my first reaction was, "You have to be kidding me! I am not getting up at 6:15!" I nursed him and he went right back into the bed. He was in the room next to us, so I turned the monitor off and climbed back in bed. If he didn't go back to sleep, he would eventually start talking and wake me up. I just needed a few more minutes to close my eyes.....

Or maybe I needed another few hours. I woke up at the clock said 8:30. "Good," I thought, feeling so proud of myself, "He must have gone back to sleep" I turned on the monitor to confirm and to my surprise, he was just silently kicking in bed. Oh my gosh! Had he gone back to sleep? Had he been awake the whole time? Did I really abandon him in his crib for 2 hours? Why didn't I just get up at 6:15 in the first place? But I have to admit, a part of me was still glad that I had slept in.

As babies always do, when I leaned over his crib to get him, his whole face lit up. He was so excited to see his Mommy and didn't care what had happened in the last 2 hours. I will never know if he slept or not and I realize that it doesn't matter. He loves him Mommy and I love my early bird. Even at 6:00 in the morning.

Sticky Icky Icky

Oh, you should have seen us today. We were quite a mess. It all started with me having the great idea of eating Sonic for lunch. My son had woken up late from his morning nap and I had planned all morning to go to Target as soon as he got up. By the time he got up, I wasn't sure we would have time to make it to the store and eat lunch before nap time. My solution: lunch in the car. My daughter ordered a cheeseburger, apple dippers and a lime slush. She insisted on eating the hamburger whole, not broken into pieces. I let her because I do like to encourage decision making. Plus, I can handle a little mess. Which is obvious because I then let her hold her own lime slush as well. I wasn't so sure how the caramel dip would do in the car so I told her we could take it into Target and eat it in the buggy. Of course, she didn't eat much of her burger because she was so interested in the slush. And I didn't argue too much. I am not a big fan of pushing food. So, when we arrived at Target I just decided to take the whole Sonic bag inside and try to convince her to eat a little more while we were on the go. As I was getting her out of the car, I had to pick onion and pickle off of her chest. And then, after I had gotten her and my purse and bag in the cart I realized I had parked too close to the shopping cart holder and couldn't get the baby's car seat out. I pushed my buggy in front of the car, took my daughter out, and reparked the car with her in my lap. Second try was a charm. As soon as we got inside, I opened the caramel and proceeded to spill half of it in my daughter's lap. Sticky, icky caramel all over her lap. She naturally immediately stuck her hands in it. I had no wipes so I then stuck my hand it. Oh well. Just a little caramel. But then as she dipped her apples in the caramel she dropped her apples in the container and was fishing them out with her hands. Now there is caramel on both hands. And caramel on both hands means caramel on the face, in the hair, on the shopping cart, and all over the Father's Day card we had picked out. Time to be done with caramel. So I dug out the burger and ripped a piece off with my fingers. Now I have burger stuck to my fingers and no where to wipe that either. Just when I thought the two of us couldn't get any stickier, my daughter dumps her lime slush. At least it was time to check-out. As I was loading my stuff onto the conveyor belt, I hear the lady behind us talking to my daughter, "Wow, that's a sticky mess. It must be good!" I look at her a little embarrassed and ask, "Did she drop something on the floor?" "No," she replied, "I just noticed your hands." Wow. She noticed how gross I was. Embarrassing. And then, to top it all off, as I was backing out of the parking lot, I hit the buggy that I had left sticking out just a little too much because I was too lazy to walk over and fix it. Finally, we made it home. After nap, we decided to go outside and play for a few minutes before dinner. When my daughter came over to me, she was covered in black dirt, showing where every sticky spot of caramel had been that I had failed to wash off. Sticky, icky mess. But at least we got home in time for nap.

Good Mommy Monday

I know it is already Tuesday. I am not that far behind. But I had this great idea to do a Good Mommy Monday post, but when I sat down last night to write, my Internet was broken! So, I will go ahead and do my post one day late.

I came up with the idea to dedicate one post a week to things that are going well in my life as a Mommy. Honestly, I rarely feel as though I have anything together. But despite that my family continues to thrive and bring immense joy to my life. I fully recognize that these posts are for my benefit only. How often have we as moms wanted to write down everything we accomplished in one day just to prove that our job may look easy but is really a lot of responsibility. I guess I just need to feel better about myself. So, for now I will dedicate each Monday to bragging!

Let's see if I can remember yesterday....

We didn't do much. Just hung around the house for most of the morning. Our normal morning routine is after breakfast, I let my daughter watch a little Dora while I get the baby down for a nap. Then, I clean the kitchen and sit down to drink coffee and check email (and by email I mean facebook and my blogs :) ) After 2 Dora's (or maybe 3 if I am feeling lazy) we turn the TV off and play. I was actually able to complete almost 3 loads of laundry yesterday during play time! And I even had time to sing a little Jingle Bells and play some instruments. When baby's nap was over, we all piled in the car for the grocery store. We made it through the store with no melt downs and no crying. I did basically feed my daughter lunch in the store. She loves samples. Yesterday's menu was pasta salad, smoked turkey, olive loaf, a slice of ham and pineapple cake. After our real lunch at home, I actually got both kids down for a nap at the same time. (I use the term nap loosely in my house. This will have to be a post on it's own. My daughter doesn't always sleep but at least stays in her room for a time of rest.) I had over 2 hours to myself! In that time I paid bills, finished laundry, emptied the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher, put up the rest of the groceries, and did my Bible study. I probably also spent some time on the Internet. Yet, I still managed to not squeeze in a shower. But my most proud moment of the day? Dinner time. Because my daughter didn't have a nap, she needed to be in bed early. So, I managed to feed both kids and get dinner cooked for myself and my husband all by myself - without turning on the TV! All I had to do was march around the kitchen, singing "Boom-de-ah-da" That may seem trivial but, trust me, it is not. 4:30 - 6:00 is the WORST time of day. Once my husband was home, we had both kids in bed my 7:30! That is a special bonus on Monday nights because then I get to watch The Bachelorette! Oh, the simple pleasures in life.

Morning snacks

This morning while sitting in church, my Mommy friend and I were discussing how hungry we were. We will blame that on the nursing. So later, when the two of us found ourselves bouncing our noisy babies in the lobby instead of listening to the sermon, we had a morning snack. I had two options. Either an already opened package of peanut butter crackers or Nemo fruit snacks, both of which I dug out of the bottom of my diaper bag. I seriously considered the crackers because I wanted something salty. But they were smashed beyond recognition and I was a little concerned about what they might have picked up at the bottom of the bag. So, I went with the unopened fruit snacks. My friend went with a bag of stale cheese crackers that she confessed had possibly been on the floor and put back in the bag. But really, who else but a Mommy always has a snack in her bag?

Late night snacks

Last night went a little something like this. Around 7:30, I started the bedtime routine with my 5 month old. I gave him a bath and put him in jammies. I attempted to read a book but he immediately began squealing and arching his back. Gave up on the books. Straight to nursing. After nursing him, he wasn't asleep yet so I tried rocking and singing. Again, arching his back and squirming off of my lap. So, we walked around and sang a few songs and then I put him in bed awake. He fussed for a few minutes and went to sleep by about 8:15. (Notice that he CAN fall asleep on his own). I guess that is my first confession of the day. I know that the experts recommend a bed time of around 7. And some nights, that is possible. But let's be honest. Saturday night is too busy to have the baby in bed by 7. I didn't even have our take-out at home until almost 7. Anyway, I finally went to bed around 11 and was not surprised to hear the baby start crying around midnight. 4 hours, right on cue. Every night I go to bed swearing that tonight is the night I am going to let him fuss for at least 10-20 minutes before I get him. I have to give him a chance to fall asleep on his own. But then every night I last about 3 minutes. I am just so sleepy and I know if I just go in and nurse him, he will back asleep in no time and I can go back to sleep, too. So, that is exactly what I did. And I then I did it again at 3:30. And that is what I do every night. Now, you have to understand that I have read all the books about sleep - The Sleep Lady, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and Sleep Sense. I am well aware that I am not supposed to be nursing my child back to sleep. I am supposed to try other soothing methods, like singing and rocking and rubbing his back. Really!?? Really!?? Who does that? Is that really a successful method for other mothers? I have tried. I have tried sending my husband in. I have tried not picking him up. I have tried everything. But in the middle of night I really don't have the ability to do what I am supposed to do if it isn't working, quickly. And so, I will continue to take the easy route and nurse him to sleep. But only after I wait at least 10 - 20 minutes. This time I mean it.

The Short Books

So, I have spent my whole morning wondering what I should blog about first. I seem to have so many things I could confess. In fact, I have starting writing down some ideas because I don't want to forget all of the things that pop into my mind during the day. How do I pick which one is right for today? I still haven't decided exactly how I will go about this blogging business. Should I confess things just as they happen, on a day-to-day basis? Or should I just write about things as they come to me. I think for now, I will just start with today.

I will start by saying, that I truly do believe that reading is one of the most important things we can do with our children. I believe our houses should be full of books. All kinds of books. Our kids should see us reading, we should read with our kids, and we should give them opportunities to read to themselves. That being said, my nap time routine with my daughter includes reading two or three books. I usually let her pick one book and I pick a book. As anyone who has a two year old knows, bedtime is full of sneaky ways to postpone that moment when Mommy leaves and nap time officially begins. This is no different at our house. So today, after we had gotten upstairs, used the potty, put on a pull-up, gotten a drink of water, retrieved the stuffed animal we left downstairs the first time, picked up the room (my daughter is a little obsessive and likes to pick up her room even when I would rather not), closed the blinds, and finally gotten into the bed, my precious time alone was ticking away. My son was asleep and had been for almost 30 minutes already! He only sometimes naps more than an hour! I had to hurry and get downstairs for just a few minutes alone! So, I picked the shortest book I can find. You know the kind with only a few words on each page. But, to my disappointment, my daughter had picked a really long book - a collection of poems! So, I did what every good mother would do. Instead of complaining about her choice, I read only the first few lines on every page and was done in just a few minutes flat! Lights off, sang a few quick songs (none of those long ones), and here I am, sitting on the couch, blogging - with both kids asleep!

Finally!

Well, I finally did it. I finally created a blog. Over the last few years, I have become one of those blog stalkers. You know, one of those people who checks my Google Reader maybe 50 times a day. I guess this is a good time to start the confessing. A few nights ago, when my son woke for his middle of the night feeding, I actually took my phone with me so I could read blogs while nursing him. In my defense, I have been closely following a blog about a family whose newborn son was undergoing heart surgery, and I was really hoping for an update on his condition. But still, pretty embarrassing. I am obsessed. So naturally, I find myself narrating about my day to myself, imagining how I might record my experiences in my non-exsistent blog. I just could never actually start a blog about myself because I wasn't sure it was interesting enough. But there is one thing I find interesting - discovering other mom's aren't perfect either. So, I decided my blog wasn't just going to be a place to record my everyday life and the funny things my kids do. Instead, this blog is a place for me to write down all of my confessions as a mommy, in hopes that other moms might see themselves in my imperfections. And then, we can all know that even though it may appear that all of the other moms have it together, they probably don't either.