From Cranky to Content in the Kitchen Sink

Today my littlest love was just soooooooooooo cranky! He hasn’t been feeling well with teething, etc.. So, I decided to give one-year-old Reno a bath in the kitchen sink. I thought it would be fun for him (and me too!). He REALLY did like it! He splashed and wanted to play with the running water just like in the tub. Reno smiled and grinned, and then got serious about the sensation of the water in his hands. It was awesome to watch.

Now why am I sharing this with you? I believe you can take every moment, even the most common events in your child’s life and lock them away in a photograph where they’ll be re-enacted forever. I love the images of Reno’s bath time in the kitchen sink so much that I am probably going to print one of them in a canvas for my ‘lifestyle and candid’ wall. It makes my heart happy knowing that tomorrow, next week, and  years from now I will look upon these images and be able to recall these feelings of the moment I took them. These photos will bring back the sounds of his laughter among the splashing, and more.

The “How-to” of Photographing This Simple Childhood Event

For you photo bugs that want to know how I did it….I didn’t use a flash to take these images. I couldn’t even find it at the time LOL! I had my daughter bring me a floor lamp from my bedroom that I set up in the kitchen to Reno’s right to use as a catch light. I used my 1.8 mm lens on 2.2, ISO on 320 and shutter on 80 . Then I did a little creative editing to achieve this look you see here. IMPORTANT: I had help with the safety of my little guy while I was taking the pictures. So make sure you plan ahead if you want to do this by having a spotter within arm’s reach.

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Weekly Breakfast Menu

1. Sort papers and sign everything at night. Get backpacks ready to go and as much of lunch as possible the day before.

2. Set alarms for your children. We pick out clothes the night before and have a rule that they cannot come downstairs until they are dressed for the day. That rule is enforced on weekends and even during the summer, so there aren’t any other expectations on school days.

3. Make a breakfast schedule. My husband eats cereal seven days a week. I hate cereal. My kids are S-L-O-W when it comes to eating cereal. I manage it three days a week, but I let them make out a schedule with me so they know what to expect. Right now, it looks like this:

• Monday–Sausage Biscuit, fruit and milk
• Tuesday–Cereal and a Pumpkin Muffin (easiest recipe ever! from Pinterest here)
• Wednesday–Blueberry Multigrain Eggo, fruit and milk
• Thursday–Cereal and Pumpkin Muffin
• Friday–Toast with homemade Blueberry Jelly or Oatmeal/Cereal for my non-toast eater

I’m not thrilled with the two prepackaged meals, but at least they are paired with fruit and milk. We eat the waffles without syrup and they are multigrain, so that isn’t so bad, right? I just haven’t had the time to make some homemade pigs in a blanket or Eggs in Muffin cups this year, but it’s on my list of things to do as soon as I can find the time.

The point of all these tips is to avoid making decisions in the morning. There is actually scientific research that “decision fatigue” exists. The more small decisions that you have to make, the less likely that you will be able to make good ones later in the day. I heard on NPR that President Obama only has gray suits so that he doesn’t have to make wardrobe decisions! If your kids are not exactly “morning people”, that is all the more reason to avoid any kind of choices. While these aren’t fool-proof, we are four weeks into the school year, haven’t missed the bus yet and haven’t brought home any bad marks!  Good luck, and I hope that some of this works for you!

Check out last year’s Getting Organized post: Time to get Organized!

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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!

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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”.

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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

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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

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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.

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• 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!

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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

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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.

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