When my oldest son was  2, we took him to the Crocs Outlet store in Allen to pick out a pair of shoes.  He wasn’t all that interested until he ran across a pair of green rain boots.  These boots were 3 sizes too big and came up past his knees, but he did not care.  He wanted them.  We tried to talk him into another color that they had closer to his size, but he would not budge.  He wanted the green boots.

These boots were Buzz Lightyear boots.  He could jump higher, run longer, and fly in these magical boots.  He wore them everywhere.  He wore them with jeans, with shorts, when it was 28 degrees, and when it was 108 degrees.  It did not matter, for these boots were magical.  Every time he put them on his feet, he became Buzz Lightyear, and there was no stopping him.

Time passed, and he outgrew these green boots.  He moved on to Cowboy boots because that’s what big boys wear, so the green boots were put away.

My youngest son, who just happens to be 2, found these boots.  The magic must have never left them.  He put them on his feet, 3 sizes too big and up to his knees, and he could run faster, jump higher, and fly in them just as his brother had done.  These are no longer Buzz Lightyear boots, these are now Iron Man boots, and occasionally Dinosaur boots, or Hulk Smash boots.

He wears them everywhere, with everything.  We have bought him expensive tennis shoes, and character shoes that he picked out on his own, but all he wants to wear are the green boots.

We get compliments on the boots everyday.  As silly as he looks, it makes me happy that his imagination is going crazy.  It’s my proof that he is still a little boy, and hasn’t quite grown up yet.

Green Boots!

In my last blog, I spoke about doing a community service project with Ben’s Bells while on a business trip in Phoenix, Arizona.  I would like to elaborate on the organization and the meaning of what they do.  *This information has been taken from the Ben’s Bells website as well as information Jeannette told our group.  I hope I do her organization justice*

On March 29th,  a 3 year old Ben, son of Jeannette and Dean Packard, passed away suddenly from Croup.   Every parent’s worst nightmare was their reality and they didn’t know how they would possibly survive, but they had a 6 year old son that they still needed to be there for.

Slowly, they began incorporating coping strategies into their lives and  came up with a design for Ben’s Bells, ceramic hanging works of art. The therapeutic effect of working with clay and the power of being surrounded by people, talking, and working toward a common goal was what they needed to get back on track. They decided to make hundreds of the Bells and distribute them randomly in their community to encourage the kindness that they so depended on to get through each day. Since Ben’s death, it had been the kindness of others, strangers and friends, that had helped them begin to heal. They wanted to find a way to pass on that kindness and to help others in the process.

On the first anniversary of his death, hundreds of Ben’s Bells were distributed throughout Tucson, hung randomly in trees, on bike paths, and in parks with a written message to simply take one home and pass on the kindness.  Individuals finding the Bells had stories to tell about grief and healing and hope.

Ben’s Bells symbolize kindness and its power in healing. Each Bell is created by the hands of many different people.  By the time one Bell is completed, a multitude of individuals have been involved in the process.

My husband cutting clay for a Bell

When hearing this story for the first time, I thought Jeannette was an amazing person.  Very strong.  I have two young kids of my own, and as I was molding my beads, I thought of my kids, and what I would ever do if something happened to them.  It felt good to help in the process of making a Bell.

Ben's Bells

To read how I learned about Ben’s Bells, please read my blog “Proud Wife”.

With my oldest, I handled the “terrible 2′s” with grace.  I got through the “horrific 3′s” with no issues.  The “frustrating 4′s” were a piece of cake.  But now, I am dealing with the “freaking annoying 5′s”.

I am not one to yell at my children in public, but earlier today at Target, I just couldn’t take it any longer.   My son has a case of the cry-babies.  He whines and cries every chance he gets.  That added to the destructive attitude of my 2 year old (which I am not handling his terrible 2′s very well), put me over the edge, and I did raise my voice in public.  Just my luck, there was a family walking down the isle.  I’m sure they had the same thoughts going through their minds that I have when I see mothers raising their voices in public.  I’m not going to mention those thoughts just in case you are one of those mothers.

I tend to normally keep my cool.  I mean, my oldest is at school all day, and I really am excited to pick him up.  I have all kinds of after school fun planned, and we have a good time… or we did.  Here lately he has been acting different.  I think it started with a fever.  Maybe some night sweats.  But he definitely has a full blown case of “Cry-Baby Syndrome”.  I’ve diagnosed him myself (no, I am not a licensed physician).

These are pretty much the only words that come out of my son’s mouth anymore:

“It’s not fair that Bubba….”  “I want…. and it’s not fair!”  “Bubba looked at me….”  “Bubba touched my head!”

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!  How do you handle yourself?  Deep breaths, ignoring, and explaining no longer work.  My little mommy made monster is never happy anymore.

There is a saying, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”.   Well, how about “If your 5 year old isn’t happy…. it’s time to send him to his room and have a bottle of wine”.

This is my house

My husband travels a lot for business and as my twins are getting older, his time away is harder and harder on them.  We are halfway through another trip and my daughter is constantly asking when he will return, especially at bedtime.  She misses his goodnight hugs and kisses.

The other day she was really sad and when I said he wouldn’t be home for another 4 days, she actually got mad at him.  It broke my heart and so I started thinking (and searching the Internet) for ways to help her understand his time away a little better.  While searching I came across a FABULOUS website with a free Daddy Countdown printable that was exactly what I was looking for.  There was no need to re-create this oh so cute wheel so I quickly printed it off, laminated the main card and stuck it on the fridge (BTW – Mardels has self-service laminating machines that cost just 25 cents a foot!).  Every night at bedtime, instead of hugs and kisses from daddy, we now pull a link off the chain and count how many days until he returns.

A few other posts you might enjoy:

Snack Time Printable

Getting Out the Door in the Morning

I have hit that point in a parent’s life where I am ready to get diapers out of the house.  It’s not just me.  My 2 year old is ready too, or so I thought.  For the past 6 months he has wanted to use the potty.  We had one of those musical training potties that he played with a few times, but quickly lost interest.  I had to take him to Target so he could pick out his own potty seat.  He picked a Cars potty seat, and it worked for a few weeks, then we were back to square one.

A few weeks ago I took him to the store and had him pick out his own big boy underwear.  He was so excited, and I was determined to get him trained.  He wore them one day and did fantastic.  However, the next day he did number 2 in his pants and… let’s just say he wouldn’t look at another pair of underwear after that.  He would kick and scream until I put a diaper on him.  That’s what he wanted, so that’s what he got.

I was lost.  I could get him to use the potty periodically, and he stayed dry the majority of the time.  He just wouldn’t touch underwear, and if I put them on him, he would go on purpose and laugh.  Consistency started to become an issue with both of us.  So what was I to do???  Well, I did what any frustrated mother would do.  I left it up to the daycare.

Earlier this week, I went in with a pile of shirts, pants, socks, and underwear.  I gave them to his teacher, gave her a good luck speech, and left him in their hands.  He actually did pretty well with it.  I have had quite a bit of extra laundry to do, but today (Saturday), he stayed dry.

My fingers are crossed that he can keep it up.  We have a vast variety of underwear with all his favorite people on them.  He loves feeling like a ”big boy,” so hopefully it will stick.

It’s October, but still seems like yesterday that we were just starting school back in August.  One thing I’ve learned since August is that we needed some sort of routine to get out the door on time with everything in hand.  With 4 year old twins (who go to completely different schools on different schedules) and a 2 year old, I definitely needed help.  Here are a few things that made a world of difference for me and my kids.

• Get up a little early for “me” time.  My family thinks I’m crazy for getting up so early, but getting up 45 minutes before everyone else is my favorite time of the day.  The house is still and quiet.  I can get my shower in without an audience and enjoy my breakfast before it gets cold or soggy.  It’s also my time to catch up on facebook, emails, and check out the latest on Pinterest (my new obsession).
• Establish a Routine.  I had seen some bedtime routine cards for sale in a catalog, but for $15 I figured I could make my own MUCH cheaper.  And I did!  For less than $2.50 I created bedtime and morning routine cards that my twins LOVE.  Before they get up I set them out on our entry table (we haven’t found a “home” for them yet) and when they get up they immediately check the cards and start doing the tasks.  When a task is complete, they flip the card over and move to the next item.  If they’ve stalled and I need them to move a little faster, I simply ask “What’s next on our cards?” and someone will run over and check.  The last card is a gold star and they love to see who can get to the gold star first.  These cards have helped me TREMENDOUSLY!  While I’m making lunches and getting backpacks ready, the twins can get dressed, eat, brush their hair & teeth and get their socks & shoes on without me having to remind them 1,000 or do it for them.
• No TV in the mornings.  One of the biggest time catchers for us was TV in the morning.  They’d get sucked into a show and wouldn’t budge.  The kids haven’t missed the TV and actually haven’t asked to turn it on.  They focus on getting ready for school.  Once the twins have done all their tasks they are allowed to play till it’s time to go so they often hurry to get things done so they can play outside a bit or with their animals before school.

A game plan made all the difference in the world for me, which in turn helped my kids get off to school in a better mood ready to play and learn.  To make the cards I simply created Titles/Tasks (such as Get Dressed, Eat Breakfast) and then put a clip art image below it on a 4×6 template in MS Word.  You can then print them 4 on a sheet and laminate them.  I purchased a pack of 4×6 laminate cards and went to my local copy shop to borrow their machines in the self help section.  Couldn’t be easier.  I hope this helps you get out the door a bit easier too!

While we all love the puppies and kittens (they are so sweet, so tiny), it is great to consider giving a home to an older animal. We lost our first cat in December of 2009, when she was only 11 years old. She was cranky even before she got sick, and our three kids knew not to mess with Jade.

This past January, a friend of my sister’s found herself needing a new home for her three cats.  One was a black cat that looked almost exactly our former pet, except that it was a he, had a little white bow tie, and was a huge cuddler. My husband was hooked, and we brought home Riddle, a cat that my kids can actually pet and brush, in fact, he insists on it!  We are so happy with the new addition to our family, and he seems very content with us. Unlike a kitten, he has never accidentally nipped or scratched my kids during play.  Consider the following adoption agencies–and an older pet– if you are planning to adopt a pet.

Riddle, getting comfortable in his new house

SPCA of Dallas
Humane Society of Dallas County
Operation Kindness
Rockwall Shelter Pets

Back to School

The kids are in their second week of pre-k and third grade. Ironically, I’ve been more tired than ever! I’m lacking sleep and in desperate need of it.

Despite my attempts to get the kids into bed by 8 pm each night, they don’t fall asleep until 10 pm. They make every excuse in the book not to sleep. From “I want to be by you”, “ I miss you”, to “Read me another book”. I’m at the point where I may take a peer’s advice and give them melatonin. I take comfort in the fact that I’m not alone.

I’ve voiced my frustrations with a handful of co-workers and we all share the same sentiment. For some reason, our kids are too wired up to go to bed.  They think we’re throwing a party downstairs.

I’ve exhausted my handy resources (aka the internet) and can’t seem to get these girls to adhere to a nightly schedule. I’ve refrained from giving them sugar, caffeine (we’ve banned sodas), and prohibited television while sticking to a nightly routine. You know the drill: pajamas, teeth brushing, a book, and lights out.

With the upcoming three day weekend, I’d like to dig into my new book, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. However, I’ve got wrangle these girls to bed.

Mission Accomplished--Backpacks Organized!

We have survived the first week of school! I made it through by advanced planning but it was apparent that there were a few things that needed attention this weekend. My solution: a trip to The Container Store near Northpark after doing some internet research.

First, the three backpacks needed a home. We have pretty much established the routine that they get emptied of folders and homework when we get home, but then they either ended up on the floor or the chest freezer in our laundry room. Great location because it is on the way to the garage, but they were in the way. Enter the backpack rack: for only $4.99 it clipped on our door to provide a spot to hang all three backpacks plus accessories. Each hook can hold up to 8 lbs. (probably wouldn’t work for high school!) so this is a great solution for our three elementary school kiddos. And since it just clips on to the door, we can move it if needed and take it down during the summer time pretty easily. I already like the convenience of of having easy access to repack the bags for the next day.

Nalgene Jars

My next goal was to find some small containers for the lunch boxes. The plastic ware I already had was too big for small portions, and took up too much room in their lunch bags. Since my 4 year olds will be using them, they had to be fairly easy to open but leak proof as well. I took my son with me and I think he opened almost every different small container in the store. There are a lot to choose from! We ended up with some 1 oz. Nalgene screw-top jars for dips and ketchup, and some 2.5 oz.  snap on lid Decor Bright and Healthy snack and dip tubs for taking a few pickles or yogurt.  Both were BPA free too.

Sandwich Sack--perfect for me, I teach at the home of the mighty owls!

Lunchskins Sandwich Bag

We rounded out our shopping trip with two ice packs and some lunch sacks. These are kind of expensive, but I know that I used at least 20 plastic baggies last week and I felt guilty. Plastic baggies are so cheap that the lunch bags won’t pay for themselves any time soon, but I try to teach my kids to be green, so I consider this my back-to-school splurge. Jacob chose a lunchskins bag, while I got a sandwich sack for myself and a smaller snack sack for my daughter (she only eats half a sandwich). They are cute, and I hope they work out! Seem very easy to wipe clean or toss in the dishwasher or washing machine.

My Saturday continued with my store run in the afternoon to hit the various sales–four different grocery stores plus gassing up the car. I think I need advice on how to organize that better! But, I finally got the last item on our school supply lists! Good luck with your second week everyone!

I don’t know about your house, but at mine as soon as the kids get home they want to eat their weight in chips and cookies.  Then of course come dinner time, they’re stuffed and trying to run from the table.  I know they’re hungry and need a snack but trying to get them to eat healthy snacks is a constant battle.  Well, until recently.  For some reason, my kids will listen to a piece of paper better than me so I decided to create a snack chart that hangs on our pantry door.  As soon as they get home, they now check the chart out and pick what they want to eat.  No more fuss!  I’ve been amazed at the difference this little piece of paper has made.  I’m sure someone else with a lot more creativity and time than me could create a snazzy page, but this works perfectly for my kiddos.  Feel free to print one off for yourself (simply click on the image) or make your own.  The greatest thing is they can eat as much as they want of the foods on this list and I won’t complain.  One of their favorites is our homemade green popsicles.  Enjoy!