Alternately titled "You know your husband is tall when...."
You find some of your kids' plates in the tippity-top of the cupboards.
Hey, I'm not complaining.....he put the dishes away! :)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Keeping My Cool
Someone recently asked how I keep my "cool" on those long days where the kids are driving me nuts...and it kind of made me laugh just a little.....because to be perfectly honest, I feel like most days I'm losing my cool, rather than keeping it! I hate admitting this because I really try to enjoy this time with the kids, but they DO drive me completely insane some days!!! There are times that I feel so overwhelmed, overstimulated, and like I am about to lose it....literally! And as it has been noted in previous posts...I've been known to yell too much, and my kids are not afraid to point it out! Anyway, instead of focusing on the negative, I will say that there are some key things that I KNOW help me on those days I am keeping my cool.
First of all, and probably most importantly, is SLEEP! If I'm getting enough sleep and feel rested, I am in such a better mood and way more patient. If I'm tired, I'm grumpy, and I usually end up making everybody else grumpy, as well. And wishing you could go back to sleep half hour after you wake up makes for a long day!
Diet...and when I say diet, in no way do I mean limiting my calories or eating even remotely healthy (although I'm sure this would have a huge impact). If you know me, that goes without saying! But it's so easy to skip meals when you're busy with taking care of kids, feeding them, cleaning them, cleaning up after them, laundry, vacuuming, etc. etc.... I've realized when I'm skipping meals and hungry, I am extremely grumpy! Tim can testify to this!
Focus - it's easy to let my "To Do" lists get the best of me. I look at all the things I think I need to do and then I get frustrated when the kids are "in the way" of getting them done. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter if I clean the fridge that day or if we make it to Target for a few items. I'm not in college, or at work (well, I'm not employed anyway), there are no deadlines....and it will all get done eventually! When I focus on the kids and being with them, we are all much happier (by no means am I saying I have this one down...I am constantly working on it and reminding myself what's important).
Me time - this is such a hard one for MoMs...and really just moms in general! When you constantly feel behind with all that there is to do, how do you find time for yourself?! But I have found that if I just take a little time for myself, whatever that may be, I feel so much better! I feel like a person again! It can be something as small as getting a pedicure, or just painting my own toenails! It can be watching a show or two after the kids have gone to bed so I can zone out, de-stress, and wind down. It can be having a conversation with a friend. I wish I could say it could be working out, but that would be a lie...I've seen the gym twice since we got back fro Maui, but that's a whole different post!
Shower! Might be simple, but I feel 100% better if I get up and get ready! I'm happier, I feel more awake and have more energy, and if it ends up that we need to go somewhere that day, it all happens a lot faster because I'm already ready! I really need to practice what I preach though because it's 3:00pm and I am sitting here still un-showered....and we are all still in jammies and sporting bed-head!
I know that none of these tips are revolutionary. They're all common sense and things that I should be doing all the time...and things that others probably ARE doing most of the time! Just thought I'd share what makes certain days better for me :)
First of all, and probably most importantly, is SLEEP! If I'm getting enough sleep and feel rested, I am in such a better mood and way more patient. If I'm tired, I'm grumpy, and I usually end up making everybody else grumpy, as well. And wishing you could go back to sleep half hour after you wake up makes for a long day!
Diet...and when I say diet, in no way do I mean limiting my calories or eating even remotely healthy (although I'm sure this would have a huge impact). If you know me, that goes without saying! But it's so easy to skip meals when you're busy with taking care of kids, feeding them, cleaning them, cleaning up after them, laundry, vacuuming, etc. etc.... I've realized when I'm skipping meals and hungry, I am extremely grumpy! Tim can testify to this!
Focus - it's easy to let my "To Do" lists get the best of me. I look at all the things I think I need to do and then I get frustrated when the kids are "in the way" of getting them done. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter if I clean the fridge that day or if we make it to Target for a few items. I'm not in college, or at work (well, I'm not employed anyway), there are no deadlines....and it will all get done eventually! When I focus on the kids and being with them, we are all much happier (by no means am I saying I have this one down...I am constantly working on it and reminding myself what's important).
Me time - this is such a hard one for MoMs...and really just moms in general! When you constantly feel behind with all that there is to do, how do you find time for yourself?! But I have found that if I just take a little time for myself, whatever that may be, I feel so much better! I feel like a person again! It can be something as small as getting a pedicure, or just painting my own toenails! It can be watching a show or two after the kids have gone to bed so I can zone out, de-stress, and wind down. It can be having a conversation with a friend. I wish I could say it could be working out, but that would be a lie...I've seen the gym twice since we got back fro Maui, but that's a whole different post!
Shower! Might be simple, but I feel 100% better if I get up and get ready! I'm happier, I feel more awake and have more energy, and if it ends up that we need to go somewhere that day, it all happens a lot faster because I'm already ready! I really need to practice what I preach though because it's 3:00pm and I am sitting here still un-showered....and we are all still in jammies and sporting bed-head!
I know that none of these tips are revolutionary. They're all common sense and things that I should be doing all the time...and things that others probably ARE doing most of the time! Just thought I'd share what makes certain days better for me :)
Proof that today is a pretty good day (despite not having a shower)....
The kids and I were coloring when Kallie had to go to the bathroom and called me for some "help."
I came back to find my picture like this....
I've been known to get a little too serious about things - playing with the play-doh long after the kids have moved onto other things, treating a friendly game of Taboo like some Olympic competition that I have practiced 4 years for one shot to win, becoming involved with my own drawings rather than helping the kids with theirs (or letting someone wait in the bathroom, calling for help for a few too many minutes while I try and fill in green hills).....you get the point!
But today when Emma put her "special touch" on my picture, I didn't mind one bit!
Totally keeping my cool :)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Green Milk
First of all, this time change is KILLING me with getting the kids down at bed time....it's 10:30 and they just went to sleep!
Now that I got that out, on to St. Patty's Day, which isn't much better. I always thought I'd be the kind of mom that would decorate for every season/holiday and do cute things like make green eggs and ham and whip up green milkshakes while the kids search for leprechauns and hunt for a pot of gold around the house. Instead, we had a glass of green milk around 2:30! Ugh, I don't know what's wrong with me, but I really need to step up my game!!! I want to create fun memories and traditions for my kids, but so far, I suck in this department!
Anyway, luckily Grandma Stacey actually has a tradition of making corn beef and cabbage on St. Patty's Day (I never said it was original, but it's still a tradition) so we spent the evening there. The kids were more excited about going to her house than they were about any understanding they have of St. Patty's Day....although they really liked the idea of pinching and getting pinched. I kept trying to explain that we were wearing green so that we wouldn't get pinched, yet Kallie insisted, " But I wanna get pinched!" I made her wear green anyway. Everyone wore green, no one got pinched, and as always, the kids had a blast at Papa and Grandma Stacey's....
Now that I got that out, on to St. Patty's Day, which isn't much better. I always thought I'd be the kind of mom that would decorate for every season/holiday and do cute things like make green eggs and ham and whip up green milkshakes while the kids search for leprechauns and hunt for a pot of gold around the house. Instead, we had a glass of green milk around 2:30! Ugh, I don't know what's wrong with me, but I really need to step up my game!!! I want to create fun memories and traditions for my kids, but so far, I suck in this department!
Anyway, luckily Grandma Stacey actually has a tradition of making corn beef and cabbage on St. Patty's Day (I never said it was original, but it's still a tradition) so we spent the evening there. The kids were more excited about going to her house than they were about any understanding they have of St. Patty's Day....although they really liked the idea of pinching and getting pinched. I kept trying to explain that we were wearing green so that we wouldn't get pinched, yet Kallie insisted, " But I wanna get pinched!" I made her wear green anyway. Everyone wore green, no one got pinched, and as always, the kids had a blast at Papa and Grandma Stacey's....
What's not to love??? A swing set...
A playhouse and your choice of any ride....
(I should mention they have 8 grandkids, 6 of them are 4 yrs old and under)
Speaking of rides/bikes, this is killing me! Seriously....how can you be so proud and feel like someone just stabbed you in the heart at the same time?! Go Emma!!!
Where did my babies go???
Timmy's still working on it....
And this is about as far as he got!
That's ok....I don't need all of my kids riding their bikes off into the sunset just yet. And there are always things we need to work on. Like in addition to working on creating some fun traditions, I also need to work on taking pictures of the kids TOGETHER!
This is the only one I have from today, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't count!
Hope everyone had a safe and happy St. Patty's Day...complete with leprechauns and a pot of gold...oh yeah, and a little green milk, too ;)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Oh NO he didn't!
Yes, actually he did! Timmy hit me in the face yesterday.....HARD! And he must have hit me just right because it HURT! Totally made me cover my face...and I might of started crying. Hey, I'm not claiming to be the toughest girl around, but I was surprised when it hurt as bad as it did.
Let me back up a little first.....Timmy has been testing his limits lately. He likes to push the girls' buttons - he copies them, runs off with something he knows they want, and he's been hitting. And when I go to put him in time out, he usually runs the other way and laughs...very frustrating! But today when I covered my face, it think it scared him....he kept trying to take my hands away from my face and then he ran to his room without me saying a word. When he came out and I was still sitting there with my hands over my face (I told you it REALLY hurt) he looked at me and said, "I'm so sorry, Mommy...I'm so so sorry." And although I haven't forgotten that he did something wrong by hitting in the first place, I was glad to see that he realized he had hurt someone and was genuinely sorry about it. He really is a sweet little boy...so I'm hoping we can take care of the hitting thing soon!
Let me back up a little first.....Timmy has been testing his limits lately. He likes to push the girls' buttons - he copies them, runs off with something he knows they want, and he's been hitting. And when I go to put him in time out, he usually runs the other way and laughs...very frustrating! But today when I covered my face, it think it scared him....he kept trying to take my hands away from my face and then he ran to his room without me saying a word. When he came out and I was still sitting there with my hands over my face (I told you it REALLY hurt) he looked at me and said, "I'm so sorry, Mommy...I'm so so sorry." And although I haven't forgotten that he did something wrong by hitting in the first place, I was glad to see that he realized he had hurt someone and was genuinely sorry about it. He really is a sweet little boy...so I'm hoping we can take care of the hitting thing soon!
This sweet boy knows how to eat an ice cream...every last bite of it!
You should see him eat an Its-It (Kam, you'd be proud)!!!
And here's a little sneak peak of some of the catching up I have to do... our recent trip to Tahoe :)
Monday, March 14, 2011
LONG TIME, NO BLOG
Ok, we've been MIA. No good excuses...it's just so hard to get back into it when you've gotten out of the habit! But I'm determined to start blogging more regularly again......right after tonight, because tonight is The Bachelor Finale! Yep, I said it....and I'm not ashamed to admit it (ok maybe just a little). I love this season and I can't wait to watch "the most dramatic finale in Bachelor history" AGAIN....because Chris Harrison says that every season! Lol! But anyway, expect lots of blogging catch-up in the next few days. Already feels good to be back!
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