The last several days have been filled with preparations and decorations for Christmas. I am usually the first one to hop on the "let's decorate for Christmas," bandwagon. But this year, despite having a beautiful new house to decorate, I hadn't been too excited about it. But then my mother-in-law told me she was going to get rid of her 10 foot pre-lit Christmas tree, and for me, it was free.
Now, I am definitely a real tree kind of girl, buuuuut, we have a two-story foyer that is just begging for a nice, tall Christmas tree. Of course, I wasn't going to spent hundreds of dollars on a fake, pre-lit tree, and I we didn't want the mess/hassle/expense of two real trees, so I thought we would just have the one tree in the living room this year and be happy. But, my in-laws made my dream of having two trees come true! :-) So I set out to decorate it beautifully but cheaply. For several years in my old house, I had decorated in the dining room with just silver and white, so I had collected quite a few ornaments in those colors. Next, I hit the dollar store and found a bunch more, and some snowflake garland and some pretty ribbon. It turned out really nice.
So now comes the difficult part; keeping the kids from touching, grabbing, pulling, batting and just generally destroying TWO Christmas trees. Caleb is not much of a problem. He might touch now and again, but he's not really destructive. Quinn, on the other hand, doesn't have the nick name "Quinnosaurus," for nothing. Needless to say, there have been lots of time outs and lots of smacked hands. :-( It is getting better though. Today is day four and he is was only interested for the first few minutes after he woke up.
So I am officially in the Christmas spirit. The trees are decorated, the stockings are hung, andthe presents are (mostly) bought. Looking forward to a little more shopping, some cookie baking, and spending time with friends and family soon.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Re-decorating
So, now they have a place to play with their kitchen, the easel, and we are going to set up a little spot in the corner for reading books. I just need to find some pillows and/or cushions. Hmmmm... Not sure where/how to get those. We might decorate a bulletin board and the window too, what the heck.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Patience is a Virtue (I don't seem to have)
I've always known I wasn't the most patient person, but lately I've come to realize I don't seem to possess an ounce of the stuff! Why can't my kids just listen to me the FIRST time I ask/tell them to do/stop doing something? It really would make life easier. However, this is not likely to happen, at least before they turn 30. So, how do I learn patience? Hmmm.... that is what I have been trying to figure out.
So far, I have discovered I can learn something from my children. I need to take more cues from them and go with their flow. Not mine. I have to give up my idea of how the day should go, and plan it around them. This is not easy for me. I came into this whole SAHM thing thinking I would have more time for things like laundry, picture albums, Christmas cards, etc. I am finding out this is not true. (And if anyone says I told you so I will scream). I am discovering this is a whole new kind of job. It's not "watching," the kids while my husband is at work. It's not "hanging out," with the kids all day. It actually requires a lot of planning and yes, patience. So far, I believe I am failing miserably at both. Our days have been peppered with whining, nagging, yelling, time outs, and frustration. But I think I may be figuring out some things for myself. Some things that are going to help me "turn this ship around," as someone I know often says. I am going to try this new approach, treating this like a full time job. The pay isn't great, but the rewards I will receive, are more than worth the effort.
So, here goes nothin'. I will keep you posted.
So far, I have discovered I can learn something from my children. I need to take more cues from them and go with their flow. Not mine. I have to give up my idea of how the day should go, and plan it around them. This is not easy for me. I came into this whole SAHM thing thinking I would have more time for things like laundry, picture albums, Christmas cards, etc. I am finding out this is not true. (And if anyone says I told you so I will scream). I am discovering this is a whole new kind of job. It's not "watching," the kids while my husband is at work. It's not "hanging out," with the kids all day. It actually requires a lot of planning and yes, patience. So far, I believe I am failing miserably at both. Our days have been peppered with whining, nagging, yelling, time outs, and frustration. But I think I may be figuring out some things for myself. Some things that are going to help me "turn this ship around," as someone I know often says. I am going to try this new approach, treating this like a full time job. The pay isn't great, but the rewards I will receive, are more than worth the effort.
So, here goes nothin'. I will keep you posted.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Grandpa's Birthday - Homemade Play Dough - Naughtiness
It has been a challenging couple of days. On Sunday, I took the boys up to visit my parents as a surprise for my dad's birthday. It was fun, and my dad was really surprised and really happy we came. But it is hard traveling 9 hours in two days with two toddlers. They missed naps, got off their schedule and were generally naughty. Since we've been home, I have had little patience and the boys have been testing the limits. The morning seem to be worse than the afternoons.
We are trying to keep busy and find some new activities they can do on their own. We made homemade play dough on Wednesday. Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to try it.
Homemade Play Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Mix dry ingredients and oil in a sauce pan. Stir in the water and heat on med/low heat until the dough gets stiff. Turn out onto wax paper or what I did was spray some nonstick spray on the counter. Knead until smooth. I made a double batch and divided it into four pieces and kneaded in a few drops of food coloring and some peppermint extract (as a preservative) It has a really nice consistency and seems to stay pretty moist. I am storing each color separately in a zip-loc bag.
The other new thing we have discovered is on line games at www.nickelodeon.com. They have several games for young kids. Caleb is learning how to use the mouse and play the games on his own. I am hoping this will be a way for me to be able to spend a little more one on one time with Quinn. I really think he is acting out because he needs more attention. It is hard to give them equal attention when they are at such different developmental stages. It seems somehow, Caleb always gets more attention because he asks more questions and is able to do more than Quinn. Maybe the computer games will help with this. If anyone has ideas for other solo activities for Caleb, I would appreciate them. I did get a couple of audio books at the library - so far they are not too interested but we will keep trying.
We are trying to keep busy and find some new activities they can do on their own. We made homemade play dough on Wednesday. Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to try it.
Homemade Play Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Mix dry ingredients and oil in a sauce pan. Stir in the water and heat on med/low heat until the dough gets stiff. Turn out onto wax paper or what I did was spray some nonstick spray on the counter. Knead until smooth. I made a double batch and divided it into four pieces and kneaded in a few drops of food coloring and some peppermint extract (as a preservative) It has a really nice consistency and seems to stay pretty moist. I am storing each color separately in a zip-loc bag.
The other new thing we have discovered is on line games at www.nickelodeon.com. They have several games for young kids. Caleb is learning how to use the mouse and play the games on his own. I am hoping this will be a way for me to be able to spend a little more one on one time with Quinn. I really think he is acting out because he needs more attention. It is hard to give them equal attention when they are at such different developmental stages. It seems somehow, Caleb always gets more attention because he asks more questions and is able to do more than Quinn. Maybe the computer games will help with this. If anyone has ideas for other solo activities for Caleb, I would appreciate them. I did get a couple of audio books at the library - so far they are not too interested but we will keep trying.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
This and That
Well, we are all adjusting to being home together. It's turning out to be kind of fun. The kind of fun that once in a while, you've just had enough of. and want to go somewhere and take a nap from! Ha ha... No seriously, we are having fun. We are getting creative with crafts, we made a fire truck out of the box from Daddy's new TV, made Happy Thanksgiving cards for grandmas and grandpas yesterday, and we started out playgroup at the library yesterday. I am feeling lots better than I was a month ago, that's for sure. I am still trying to work out how to keep the kids entertained for any period of time (without the T.V.) while I try to get work done. I really would like to get some of my housework done while they are still awake so I can take a little break while they nap. I am finding it difficult not to give all of my attention to the kids all the time. They are very needy at this point, wanting me to play with them, hold them, read to them, etc. ALL THE TIME! Hmmm... may have just come up with an idea... audio books? They have them available to check out at the library. I bet that would keep Caleb busy for a while. Not sure about Quinn though. Thankfully we have Christmas to look forward to, and some new and interesting toys.
Last night I came up with a new recipe for chicken fingers that the kids really liked. They ate all of it. This may also have had something to do with the fact that Caleb helped me make everything. He loves helping me cook, and it keeps him busy so I can get it done. I have found that he is very focused and follows directions very well while we are cooking together. Anyway, I took Cheez-Its and Caleb crushed them up inside a zipper bag, with the rolling pin. I stirred in a little chili powder and garlic powder, and we dredged strips of raw chicken in some beaten egg, then into the crumbs. I sprayed the baking sheet and the top of the chicken with a little cooking spray to keep it from sticking and crisp it up a little more. They turned out really well. I would have liked to make some honey mustard dipping sauce to go with them but I didn't have the right ingredients. We also had steamed broccoli and rice side dish (from a bag). Caleb was also able to help break off the florets from the broccoli, and pour the water into the pan for the broccoli and the rice. He ate THREE servings of broccoli! YES I SAID THREE! I give him about a tablespoon of light ranch dressing to dip his trees in and he gobbles them up! I'm going to get some of the Hidden Valley powdered mix to make my own with fat free mayo and low fat milk. I think that might be a little better, without the preservatives.
Sorry if I've bored anyone with this post. Just my thoughts this morning. I've decided to do less editing and more of what's going on day-to-day. Please let me know your thoughts.
On the agenda today: Grocery shopping, laundry, playground, maybe some fingerpainting. We'll see were the day takes us!
Last night I came up with a new recipe for chicken fingers that the kids really liked. They ate all of it. This may also have had something to do with the fact that Caleb helped me make everything. He loves helping me cook, and it keeps him busy so I can get it done. I have found that he is very focused and follows directions very well while we are cooking together. Anyway, I took Cheez-Its and Caleb crushed them up inside a zipper bag, with the rolling pin. I stirred in a little chili powder and garlic powder, and we dredged strips of raw chicken in some beaten egg, then into the crumbs. I sprayed the baking sheet and the top of the chicken with a little cooking spray to keep it from sticking and crisp it up a little more. They turned out really well. I would have liked to make some honey mustard dipping sauce to go with them but I didn't have the right ingredients. We also had steamed broccoli and rice side dish (from a bag). Caleb was also able to help break off the florets from the broccoli, and pour the water into the pan for the broccoli and the rice. He ate THREE servings of broccoli! YES I SAID THREE! I give him about a tablespoon of light ranch dressing to dip his trees in and he gobbles them up! I'm going to get some of the Hidden Valley powdered mix to make my own with fat free mayo and low fat milk. I think that might be a little better, without the preservatives.
Sorry if I've bored anyone with this post. Just my thoughts this morning. I've decided to do less editing and more of what's going on day-to-day. Please let me know your thoughts.
On the agenda today: Grocery shopping, laundry, playground, maybe some fingerpainting. We'll see were the day takes us!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Socializing? What's that?
With a couple weeks of being home with my kids under my belt, I’m feeling pretty good about it. I will admit, I did panic a little at the beginning, wondering what the heck I was getting myself into, but we seem to be adjusting to this new lifestyle. We are getting a routine down, naps are getting back to normal, etc.
The problem I am facing is we have not met anyone here in Battle Creek. Everyone says I am very social and I shouldn’t have any problems making new friends. They are right, in part. I am very social. Once I know you. I find it very difficult to make new friends and usually wait for others to make the first move. That, coupled with the fact that it is now November, is posing a very large hurdle in our path to making new friends, and therefore having some outside socialization.
I know this is necessary for both me and the boys. I am already sensing some anger from Caleb for taking him away from his friends at school. He is the kind of kid that needs a lot of structure and thrives on the social interactions he was getting at school. He has become very whiny and impatient and tends to lose his temper more and more when he doesn’t get what he wants. The question is, where do I find the socialization he needs without paying for preschool or daycare? Thankfully, we have signed up for a playtime/story time at the library. That class starts next week and runs for four Tuesdays. So that will be a start. But I am at a loss for additional ideas about where to socialize during the winter. Anybody have any ideas? If we are going to stay sane this winter, we are definitely going to need to get out of the house more thane once a week!
On another subject, Quinn has gone on the potty twice in the last week! I know, it’s probably just a pure accident, but it makes me see the light at the end of the diaper tunnel!
The problem I am facing is we have not met anyone here in Battle Creek. Everyone says I am very social and I shouldn’t have any problems making new friends. They are right, in part. I am very social. Once I know you. I find it very difficult to make new friends and usually wait for others to make the first move. That, coupled with the fact that it is now November, is posing a very large hurdle in our path to making new friends, and therefore having some outside socialization.
I know this is necessary for both me and the boys. I am already sensing some anger from Caleb for taking him away from his friends at school. He is the kind of kid that needs a lot of structure and thrives on the social interactions he was getting at school. He has become very whiny and impatient and tends to lose his temper more and more when he doesn’t get what he wants. The question is, where do I find the socialization he needs without paying for preschool or daycare? Thankfully, we have signed up for a playtime/story time at the library. That class starts next week and runs for four Tuesdays. So that will be a start. But I am at a loss for additional ideas about where to socialize during the winter. Anybody have any ideas? If we are going to stay sane this winter, we are definitely going to need to get out of the house more thane once a week!
On another subject, Quinn has gone on the potty twice in the last week! I know, it’s probably just a pure accident, but it makes me see the light at the end of the diaper tunnel!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Mom Wars?
I have been itching to talk about this issue but have been hesitant to discuss it with other moms for fear it would cause a rift. Now, since I find myself in a position where I have crossed over the boundary, and will be experiencing both, I am going to broach the subject.
What is it you ask? It is the often unspoken, sometimes blatant, but always present, battle of the moms. It has always seemed to me that all moms have divided themselves into two groups: Working Moms and Stay At Home Moms. By nature, the two are mutually exclusive. Moms are expected to fit neatly into one category or the other and then certain assumptions are made about them based on their label.
I have to admit, I have fallen into this mindset. As a working mom, I found it hard to relate to SAHM’s and I felt as if they were somehow giving up their independence. I guess that’s the word that it comes down to for me. Independence. I grew up in a family where independence was important, and I have always carried that with me through my adult life. For me to give that up, was not easy. I still have an uneasy feeling… What if something were to happen to Michael? How would I provide for our children on my own? Those questions do cross my mind, but we have been able to put some things in place so I know we would still be okay.
At the same time, I also felt a lot of guilt for going to work everyday and allowing others to “raise,” my kids during the week. I don’t regret it though, I feel like that was what we needed to do at the time and we found the best caregivers to stand in for us while we worked. I still think daycare is great for kids. It helps them learn social skills and all kinds of things they don’t learn from just two parents. I am hopeful I can find some social outlets for us now. They are used to being around kids and I know they will miss it, and I need to talk to an adult or two once in a while!
I would LOVE to hear from other moms on this issue. I am completely open to all comments on this post. Since I haven’t really discussed this with other moms before, I don’t know if they feel the same way, or if it’s just me. So, tell me, are you on one side or the other? Or are you able to relate to both? If you are a working mom, do you secretly wish you could stay home? If you are a SAHM, do you envy those who get a break from their kids and go to work? Something tells me this may be a case of the grass is always greener. Maybe having a discussion about this will help other moms better relate to each other. Please, tell me what you think.
What is it you ask? It is the often unspoken, sometimes blatant, but always present, battle of the moms. It has always seemed to me that all moms have divided themselves into two groups: Working Moms and Stay At Home Moms. By nature, the two are mutually exclusive. Moms are expected to fit neatly into one category or the other and then certain assumptions are made about them based on their label.
I have to admit, I have fallen into this mindset. As a working mom, I found it hard to relate to SAHM’s and I felt as if they were somehow giving up their independence. I guess that’s the word that it comes down to for me. Independence. I grew up in a family where independence was important, and I have always carried that with me through my adult life. For me to give that up, was not easy. I still have an uneasy feeling… What if something were to happen to Michael? How would I provide for our children on my own? Those questions do cross my mind, but we have been able to put some things in place so I know we would still be okay.
At the same time, I also felt a lot of guilt for going to work everyday and allowing others to “raise,” my kids during the week. I don’t regret it though, I feel like that was what we needed to do at the time and we found the best caregivers to stand in for us while we worked. I still think daycare is great for kids. It helps them learn social skills and all kinds of things they don’t learn from just two parents. I am hopeful I can find some social outlets for us now. They are used to being around kids and I know they will miss it, and I need to talk to an adult or two once in a while!
I would LOVE to hear from other moms on this issue. I am completely open to all comments on this post. Since I haven’t really discussed this with other moms before, I don’t know if they feel the same way, or if it’s just me. So, tell me, are you on one side or the other? Or are you able to relate to both? If you are a working mom, do you secretly wish you could stay home? If you are a SAHM, do you envy those who get a break from their kids and go to work? Something tells me this may be a case of the grass is always greener. Maybe having a discussion about this will help other moms better relate to each other. Please, tell me what you think.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
And the Adventure Begins...
If you had asked me a year ago if I would be a stay at home mom today, I would have told you you were crazy. I was perfectly content working full time and being a mom after 5:00 and on the weekends. Or so I thought. I was secretly jealous of my friends who got to stay at home with their kids, but I couldn't justify quitting my job and staying home. We needed two incomes right? Plus, I had gone to college for four years and racked up thousands of dollars in student loans in order to work in my chosen field. How could I really just throw that away? Could I still be considered a productive member of society if I didn't work outside the home? What would happen when I was ready to go back? Could I really handle being home with my two boys all day? All of these things kept me from making it happen.
Then, everything changed. My husband got a great opportunity with a great company in another city, and he is actually the one who brought it up. He'd known how I felt even without me talking about it too much. (that's why I love him...) So, he devised a plan, whereby we could pay off some debt and work things out so I could stay home when we moved to the new city.
I have been contemplating my new role as a SAHM for five months now, while my husband commuted every day to work and I have been absorbing the vast majority of the child related duties, the morning routine, taking them to daycare, picking them up, making dinner, etc. I have been looking forward to things being significantly LESS rushed and hectic. I have been eagerly anticipating spending more time and taking a more active role in my boys' education. What they have been learning at "school," they will now learn from me! I have plans to get preschool lesson plans, set aside time each day to do lessons, music and crafts. In short, I have become enamored with the possibilities. Whether my daydreams will turn into reality has yet to be determined.
And this is where my story begins. Today is my first day home alone with my boys for the whole day. Upon advice of several of my friends, I got up and took a shower and got dressed before Mike left for work. I want to make sure I don't fall into the "lounging around in my PJ's all day," rut. And Lord knows, if I wait till the kids are up, it could be 4:00 before I get to shower. Today, the plan is to check out the local library, change my address at the SOS and make the first of presumably thousands of trips to Target. So, here I sit, blogging while my kids watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in their pajamas. With that said, it is time for them to get dressed. Great things await us.
Then, everything changed. My husband got a great opportunity with a great company in another city, and he is actually the one who brought it up. He'd known how I felt even without me talking about it too much. (that's why I love him...) So, he devised a plan, whereby we could pay off some debt and work things out so I could stay home when we moved to the new city.
I have been contemplating my new role as a SAHM for five months now, while my husband commuted every day to work and I have been absorbing the vast majority of the child related duties, the morning routine, taking them to daycare, picking them up, making dinner, etc. I have been looking forward to things being significantly LESS rushed and hectic. I have been eagerly anticipating spending more time and taking a more active role in my boys' education. What they have been learning at "school," they will now learn from me! I have plans to get preschool lesson plans, set aside time each day to do lessons, music and crafts. In short, I have become enamored with the possibilities. Whether my daydreams will turn into reality has yet to be determined.
And this is where my story begins. Today is my first day home alone with my boys for the whole day. Upon advice of several of my friends, I got up and took a shower and got dressed before Mike left for work. I want to make sure I don't fall into the "lounging around in my PJ's all day," rut. And Lord knows, if I wait till the kids are up, it could be 4:00 before I get to shower. Today, the plan is to check out the local library, change my address at the SOS and make the first of presumably thousands of trips to Target. So, here I sit, blogging while my kids watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in their pajamas. With that said, it is time for them to get dressed. Great things await us.
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