So, I won't be nominated for mother of the year this year...my violations include:
1. Penning two children in the oldest child's bedroom w/ a baby gate so I could get a shower. The room is pretty much baby proof, including tethering the furniture to the walls and outlet covers. I thought I'd be safe to get my shower. Nope. Two minutes into my shower they're both laughing hysterically IN the bathroom, throwing open the shower curtain. Somehow the two of them overpowered the gate. It was laying of the floor when I investigated their escape.
(this was on Monday).
2. Today, I tried the same maneuver, except I put the gate in the hallway, giving the oldest explicit instructions NOT to knock down the gate, I was just going to throw a load of laundry in. I return 2 minutes later and smell nail polish. That can't be good. Q is laughing hysterically and saying "Now you're shiny and new!" He had painted the truck wheels on one of his dump trucks, oh and his brother's hands. Nice. B still has remnants of pearly pink polish on his hands. Luckily I got there in time to prevent any more disaster like B licking his hands or the hardwood floor getting painted. (I remember a friend of mine telling me what mischief her little girl got into, and I always thought, WTH? Don't you watch your kid?-Paybacks are a b.)
3. Today again at the mall, trying to escape my self-imposed torture of no T.V., B's little octopus arms reached out and grabbed the chocolate milk Q was drinking and dumped it all over himself, the stroller and the floor. Thankfully he was wearing a chocolate brown shirt.
Thankfully, I'm laughing at it all. The no t.v. thing has been good and bad. Good that I know I don't really need to put the t.v. on for the boys, they do ok without it. But a hard and fast rule of no T.V. isn't great. I learned that my favorite time of day is when Q first gets up for the morning and after his nap. He's absolutely precious and sweet. These are usually times of the day I roll over and put the T.V. on and go back to sleep, or surf the Internet.
Bad in that there are definitely times when I need a break from referring, and the T.V. was/is great at getting at least on of them distracted for a while. I'm sure my sister would say that she has some awesome plan or idea to deal with that. They watch very little, I think maybe once a week they put the thing on for a movie. But I don't now how she does that. And honestly, my sister and I are two very different people, and well, I think she's a little crazy... She has 4 girls and homeschools AND eats organically. Enough said? LOL!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A Week Without T.V.
The television, T.V., the boob tube, the electronic babysitter...whatever you want to call it. We watch all too much of it at my house. I've been thinking of challenging myself to go a week without it for some time now. Well, on Sunday sitting in church (where I get all my great ideas, I like to think they're divinely inspired), I decided that this was the week to start it. With all the rain lately, I've been using it as an excuse to let Q watch unendless shows most days of the week. I noticed too, that if he asked to watch and I said "NO," he would pitch a fit, and I it made me think, now is the time...he's addicted. So am I. Even though its summer, and there's nothing on, Scott and I will spend hours at night, flipping thru the nothing and land on some stupid reality show and numb our minds. (but hey, at least we're doing something together right?). Not to mention its baseball season, and if I hear another announcer say the Phillies blew it another night, and then have Scott whine about the Phillies, I was going to put my foot threw the thing anyway. (Who knew that baseball season is like 150 games long, not including the playoffs--last season was sooo long).
So anyway, I'm 3 days into no T.V.. I somehow convinced Scott that we should do this as well, not just for the oldest boy child. He agreed.
Day ONE:
No biggie. I prepped Q the night before that there would be no T.V. this week. And surprisingly, he only asked me to watch once, and was fine when I said no. This day went smoothly. We played for some of the early morning and then went to the mall to run some errands and look for new Crocs. Had lunch there and came home for naps and then ran out to the store for lunch meat for the week. No major meltdowns, and both boys entertained themselves really well. I didn't even want to put it on. That night I went to bible study, so there was no temptation for me to watch when the kiddies went to bed.
Day Two:
Again, no problem. Q had his first swim lesson. He was scared to death, but he still cooperated I was so proud of him as he sat in the water and shivered while he waited for his turn to be tortured by floating on his back. Ate lunch out again with his friend who we went to lessons with (she wouldn't get in the water). It was very cute that Q kept telling her it wasn't too scary, and that the teacher was really nice.
It seemed like a really long afternoon, but not because of the no t.v. rule. Q only took a short nap, so we had craft time while B slept. We made a Captain Hook bank, which is cute, and Q did a great job following the steps in the craft book. It was nice. The boys spent at least an hour in our wet green sand table, and made a huge mess of themselves and the deck. So we had early baths before dinner. All this was accomplished before 5pm. And it was another hour and a half before Scott got home for dinner. By the time he got home, I was done playing cruise director and needed a break. So I mowed the lawn and loved it. It got me good and sweaty and I could see the results of my work in a nicely mowed lawn at the end. The lawn is not one of my chores, but it was a good break.
Day Three:
The hardest day yet. When Q came in my room this morning at 7:15am, and asked for a show, I was tempted, cause I was tired and wanted to snooze more. But I pushed threw it. However, it was a rough morning. Both boys were so cranky waking up today. B tantrummed first thing out of the crib, over what? I don't know (me thinks he wanted to nurse and I'm done with that feeding,says me--today). Q pitched a fit cause I wouldn't make smoothies, and wanted his milk in a baby cup and whatever else I did ,he didn't want. I sent him back to his room to start over. It helped a little.
I realized today, why I let Q watch so much t.v.. It keeps him and B out of each other's hair. B doesn't show an interest in T.V., so he plays while Q watches. He has free run of the toys. When the t.v. isn't on, Q plays and then the territory fights begin. B is getting quite aggressive in his attempt at keeping the toy he's playing with. Q is very good at snatching anything B is playing with...its a fun combo.
Tonight I haven't been tempted to watch. A friend brought me a good fiction book I'm going to read in a bit, after I shower. I managed to get in a work out and clean the kitchen up after getting the boys in bed. Scott is out playing ice hockey, so he's not having a hard time giving up the T.V. tonight.
I actually think giving up the computer would be harder for me. I must jump on here 15 times a day, checking e-mail and my blogs. Its my connection to the outside world. I have considered giving it up as well. I'll have to think about that.
We'll see what days 4 and 5 have in store for me.
So anyway, I'm 3 days into no T.V.. I somehow convinced Scott that we should do this as well, not just for the oldest boy child. He agreed.
Day ONE:
No biggie. I prepped Q the night before that there would be no T.V. this week. And surprisingly, he only asked me to watch once, and was fine when I said no. This day went smoothly. We played for some of the early morning and then went to the mall to run some errands and look for new Crocs. Had lunch there and came home for naps and then ran out to the store for lunch meat for the week. No major meltdowns, and both boys entertained themselves really well. I didn't even want to put it on. That night I went to bible study, so there was no temptation for me to watch when the kiddies went to bed.
Day Two:
Again, no problem. Q had his first swim lesson. He was scared to death, but he still cooperated I was so proud of him as he sat in the water and shivered while he waited for his turn to be tortured by floating on his back. Ate lunch out again with his friend who we went to lessons with (she wouldn't get in the water). It was very cute that Q kept telling her it wasn't too scary, and that the teacher was really nice.
It seemed like a really long afternoon, but not because of the no t.v. rule. Q only took a short nap, so we had craft time while B slept. We made a Captain Hook bank, which is cute, and Q did a great job following the steps in the craft book. It was nice. The boys spent at least an hour in our wet green sand table, and made a huge mess of themselves and the deck. So we had early baths before dinner. All this was accomplished before 5pm. And it was another hour and a half before Scott got home for dinner. By the time he got home, I was done playing cruise director and needed a break. So I mowed the lawn and loved it. It got me good and sweaty and I could see the results of my work in a nicely mowed lawn at the end. The lawn is not one of my chores, but it was a good break.
Day Three:
The hardest day yet. When Q came in my room this morning at 7:15am, and asked for a show, I was tempted, cause I was tired and wanted to snooze more. But I pushed threw it. However, it was a rough morning. Both boys were so cranky waking up today. B tantrummed first thing out of the crib, over what? I don't know (me thinks he wanted to nurse and I'm done with that feeding,says me--today). Q pitched a fit cause I wouldn't make smoothies, and wanted his milk in a baby cup and whatever else I did ,he didn't want. I sent him back to his room to start over. It helped a little.
I realized today, why I let Q watch so much t.v.. It keeps him and B out of each other's hair. B doesn't show an interest in T.V., so he plays while Q watches. He has free run of the toys. When the t.v. isn't on, Q plays and then the territory fights begin. B is getting quite aggressive in his attempt at keeping the toy he's playing with. Q is very good at snatching anything B is playing with...its a fun combo.
Tonight I haven't been tempted to watch. A friend brought me a good fiction book I'm going to read in a bit, after I shower. I managed to get in a work out and clean the kitchen up after getting the boys in bed. Scott is out playing ice hockey, so he's not having a hard time giving up the T.V. tonight.
I actually think giving up the computer would be harder for me. I must jump on here 15 times a day, checking e-mail and my blogs. Its my connection to the outside world. I have considered giving it up as well. I'll have to think about that.
We'll see what days 4 and 5 have in store for me.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Night and Day
So I have been observing that my two boys are very different. Night and day, really. For instance:
1. Q eats a few things without prodding, B eats anything without prodding (mostly).
2. The things that Q eats readily, B will NOT eat. (yogurt, applesauce and mac n cheese).
3. Q is cautious, B not so much.
4. Q talked early and a LOT. B, not so much.
5. Q had an annoying habit of screaming the moment I left a room, and did not stop till I returned (the poor nursery workers at church and MOPS). B does the scream just to make me feel bad, but as soon as I'm out of sight he stops.
6. B loves daddy. It took Q a while to warm up to him (and now they're inseparable).
7. Q loves books always has. B has NO time to sit in my lap and read. He literally tries to throw them at me. One of Q's first phrases was "the end" at the end of a book.
More about number three. On Sunday, B learned how to stand up by himself without holding onto something. Big props for him. He's 14.5 months and still not really walking. I think this is a major step. Well, today in the bathtub, he figured he could stand in there, and then discovered when he plunked himself down in the water, it made a fun splash. Well, this was too much fun. Big brother joined in and it was mayhem. I tried in vain to stop the dive bombing fun...it was too late, and B face planted his open mouth onto the porcelain tub. He screamed, I freaked. Expecting blood or worse, I scooped him out of the tub. After examining him, I discovered he chipped two teeth, but wasn't hurt otherwise, and then was the boy PISSED that he was NOT in the tub. The second I put him back into the tub, he stopped screaming and resumed the dive bombing. So now he has two shards of teeth and I'm thinking I'm going to wean him rather quickly, cause well, its not comfortable.
Q was never so physical. He never climbed or got into anything much. B on the other hand climbs on everything. He discovered how to climb onto the coffee table and stand up. Lovely. He also learned how to pull something over to aid him in climbing onto something he can't reach. It seems he has no fear of water either. Another thing that announced their differences happened last week.
We went to a kids indoor play ground that had two moon bounces. One had a slide. Q previously, flat out REFUSED to slide down the slide, even if I went with him. B loved the slide. However, Q refused again to try the slide...so finally, knowing he'd like it, and going against all the things I said I would never do, I threw him down it. He LOVED it and then didn't stop doing it. It's taken him 2 years to try it, B, already has it mastered.
I think I'm in serious trouble with my "all boy" #2 boy child. He has a little mischievous glint in his eyes sometimes, and that cannot be good.
1. Q eats a few things without prodding, B eats anything without prodding (mostly).
2. The things that Q eats readily, B will NOT eat. (yogurt, applesauce and mac n cheese).
3. Q is cautious, B not so much.
4. Q talked early and a LOT. B, not so much.
5. Q had an annoying habit of screaming the moment I left a room, and did not stop till I returned (the poor nursery workers at church and MOPS). B does the scream just to make me feel bad, but as soon as I'm out of sight he stops.
6. B loves daddy. It took Q a while to warm up to him (and now they're inseparable).
7. Q loves books always has. B has NO time to sit in my lap and read. He literally tries to throw them at me. One of Q's first phrases was "the end" at the end of a book.
More about number three. On Sunday, B learned how to stand up by himself without holding onto something. Big props for him. He's 14.5 months and still not really walking. I think this is a major step. Well, today in the bathtub, he figured he could stand in there, and then discovered when he plunked himself down in the water, it made a fun splash. Well, this was too much fun. Big brother joined in and it was mayhem. I tried in vain to stop the dive bombing fun...it was too late, and B face planted his open mouth onto the porcelain tub. He screamed, I freaked. Expecting blood or worse, I scooped him out of the tub. After examining him, I discovered he chipped two teeth, but wasn't hurt otherwise, and then was the boy PISSED that he was NOT in the tub. The second I put him back into the tub, he stopped screaming and resumed the dive bombing. So now he has two shards of teeth and I'm thinking I'm going to wean him rather quickly, cause well, its not comfortable.
Q was never so physical. He never climbed or got into anything much. B on the other hand climbs on everything. He discovered how to climb onto the coffee table and stand up. Lovely. He also learned how to pull something over to aid him in climbing onto something he can't reach. It seems he has no fear of water either. Another thing that announced their differences happened last week.
We went to a kids indoor play ground that had two moon bounces. One had a slide. Q previously, flat out REFUSED to slide down the slide, even if I went with him. B loved the slide. However, Q refused again to try the slide...so finally, knowing he'd like it, and going against all the things I said I would never do, I threw him down it. He LOVED it and then didn't stop doing it. It's taken him 2 years to try it, B, already has it mastered.
I think I'm in serious trouble with my "all boy" #2 boy child. He has a little mischievous glint in his eyes sometimes, and that cannot be good.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Chosen
I've been struggling with my stinky behavior lately. I'm impatient and grumpy and angry and ugly to people that I love, my kids and husband mostly. It makes me sad that I don't follow the greatest commandment to "Love One Another". I get ashamed of my selfishness, ashamed at my lack of control. Why do I do this? How can God possibly love me, how can people stand to be near me? I don't even like myself. I get so bogged down by my complete failure to show God's love to people. I feel inadequate to mother the two beautiful boys I have been so graciously given. I feel that I don't deserve my husband's love and I'm defeated by my own behavior daily. But then today, I was reminded of who exactly I am...to name a few:
I AM:
I AM:
- a light of the world
- a child of God
- the branches: part of HIS vine
- a friend of God
- a daughter of God
- an heir to His glories
- God's temple
- a NEW creation
- Chosen by God
The last two hit me smack in the face.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "For anyone who is in Christ; they are a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come."
John 15:16 "For you did not chose me, but I chose you to go bear fruit that will last."
These two verses helped me today when I read them in my bible study, Freedom for Mothers by Denise Glenn. She put it this way:
"I want to clarify the difference between who you are and who you are
becoming. They are two radically different things and will affect your
mothering in very basic ways. Who you are is a new
creation, loved by God. Your spirit has come alive and can
contain the life of Jesus. You have no excuse to feel defeated and
inferior and inadequate. You simply aren't! You are a
magnificent
new creation of God. ""Knowing who you are [chosen and a new creation, etc...] won't change your
circumstances, but it can change how you look at them. It won't change
the
problem, it will change you."
Its hard for me to write how exactly I feel and how moved and freed these verses have made me feel. I feel like, in all my inadequacies, and sins and flaws, God still chose me, from the very beginning to worship Him and do good works for Him. He thinks I'm good enough. And I'm a new creation and that He is recreating me everyday. "The old is gone and the new has come", I can forget about my past mistakes and yesterday's failures. The new is coming, He's working on my heart daily.
Monday, June 8, 2009
I'm Not Complaining
I have developed a really good knack for complaining. Especially on the topic of being a stay-at-home-mom. Sometimes I'm just trying to be funny or commiserating with someone. But I realized lately, that's all I've been doing, and darn it! I really don't have the right to. So today, I will not complain. I will focus on the awesomeness of my life, right now.
I love that I really don't have to get up to an alarm clock everyday and shower and eat in a hurry to get out the door to a client's home by 8am. Most days, I can stay in my p-jamies till I get sick of them. And I get the extreme pleasure of getting up with the birds and hanging out with my youngest while the coffee brews.
I love playing on the floor with my kids and discovering what really makes them laugh. Like B loves it when you throw a blanket over the two of you. He also loves it when you pretend to burp and excuse yourself. Q dies laughing when you hit yourself in the head with a blunt object.
I love watching them both hit developmental milestones. Watching Q perfect his baseball pitch, complete with a wind up, or him finally learning how to correctly use pronouns. Lately, watching B learn how to walk is so funny and amazing all at the same time. Watching their little minds working, figuring out how a toy works on their own, how to obtain a desired cookie off the high shelf...my children are genius, and its like watching t.v. sometimes, they are that amusing and entertaining, but only to me-I know.
Having conversations with Q and deciding who he learned what from is a lot of fun too. I dreadfully can hear myself in him all too much. Like his grumpy, aggravated sigh or growl rather...straight off the apple tree I tell you. Or when he tells me I'm 'hilarious', that's hilarious.
There is also something about little boys in their p-jamies. I could eat them up. LOVE it!
Its also cool that they both adore me. That sounds, I don't know, not humble, but its the truth. Even though daddy is sometimes the favored, they come to me for most things. I don't know if that's really cause I'm technically a food dispensing unit in more ways then one, and they're conditioned to like me...but I'm counting as them adoring me...just let me have it OK. I love it when B takes his little hands and puts them on my checks to turn my face toward his, then leans in and presses his lips to mine. There's no puckering, but I'm calling it a kiss. Or when Q comes over to me and kisses me on the cheek and says "Do you know what? I really love you." I'm not going to mention that this always happens while we're in the bathroom. Its nice, really nice.
Occasionally, I find enjoyment in straightening up the house and cooking a really good dinner. Or baking cookies with Q and making a complete mess.
I love not having a boss, no one watching me from around the corner waiting to tell me how I"m doing something wrong ( I now do this to myself anyway, so there's no need for someone else to do it! ha!).
Its also an added perk that I can occasionally do somethings for me. Like attend my women's Bible study or MOPS. I socialize often with other women, albeit with kids in tow, but its better than nothing.
I have no 'professionalism code' to live by and I don't have to wear clothing that you iron.
I could go on and on...some days, I do miss being someone else, but I'm not complaining about life as I know it, not today.
I love that I really don't have to get up to an alarm clock everyday and shower and eat in a hurry to get out the door to a client's home by 8am. Most days, I can stay in my p-jamies till I get sick of them. And I get the extreme pleasure of getting up with the birds and hanging out with my youngest while the coffee brews.
I love playing on the floor with my kids and discovering what really makes them laugh. Like B loves it when you throw a blanket over the two of you. He also loves it when you pretend to burp and excuse yourself. Q dies laughing when you hit yourself in the head with a blunt object.
I love watching them both hit developmental milestones. Watching Q perfect his baseball pitch, complete with a wind up, or him finally learning how to correctly use pronouns. Lately, watching B learn how to walk is so funny and amazing all at the same time. Watching their little minds working, figuring out how a toy works on their own, how to obtain a desired cookie off the high shelf...my children are genius, and its like watching t.v. sometimes, they are that amusing and entertaining, but only to me-I know.
Having conversations with Q and deciding who he learned what from is a lot of fun too. I dreadfully can hear myself in him all too much. Like his grumpy, aggravated sigh or growl rather...straight off the apple tree I tell you. Or when he tells me I'm 'hilarious', that's hilarious.
There is also something about little boys in their p-jamies. I could eat them up. LOVE it!
Its also cool that they both adore me. That sounds, I don't know, not humble, but its the truth. Even though daddy is sometimes the favored, they come to me for most things. I don't know if that's really cause I'm technically a food dispensing unit in more ways then one, and they're conditioned to like me...but I'm counting as them adoring me...just let me have it OK. I love it when B takes his little hands and puts them on my checks to turn my face toward his, then leans in and presses his lips to mine. There's no puckering, but I'm calling it a kiss. Or when Q comes over to me and kisses me on the cheek and says "Do you know what? I really love you." I'm not going to mention that this always happens while we're in the bathroom. Its nice, really nice.
Occasionally, I find enjoyment in straightening up the house and cooking a really good dinner. Or baking cookies with Q and making a complete mess.
I love not having a boss, no one watching me from around the corner waiting to tell me how I"m doing something wrong ( I now do this to myself anyway, so there's no need for someone else to do it! ha!).
Its also an added perk that I can occasionally do somethings for me. Like attend my women's Bible study or MOPS. I socialize often with other women, albeit with kids in tow, but its better than nothing.
I have no 'professionalism code' to live by and I don't have to wear clothing that you iron.
I could go on and on...some days, I do miss being someone else, but I'm not complaining about life as I know it, not today.
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