No Money for a DS? No Problem.

So, my niece and nephew recently each received their own Nintendo DS gaming system. My daughter (who's 4), has seen them use them and has requested one of her own. She will not be getting one, for various reasons that I won't get into because, you don't want to hear that rant. So, she used her creative little brain today to get her hands on her own DS (which she referred to as a "CBS" and stated to her little brother, "No one's allowed to touch my CBS").

Thank goodness for cardboard, markers, and pencils (there's a little hole that holds the pencil that she presses the buttons with). Oh, and she's obviously still in her 'make a face for the camera' phase.

Kill 2 Birds with One Stone OR How To Get Your Kids to Do Your Dirty Work

Here's an activity that benefits both you and your children. It not only keeps you children occupied and feeling important, but gets your BBQ clean for the first time in 2 years! 

Here are your needed supplies:

Dishsoap

Water

2 Empty plastic containers (good time to recycle here and feel good about yourself)

2 scrub brushes

1 dirty BBQ

2 Eager children 

An alternative activity for you, such as cleaning the kitchen, phoning a friend, or reading People magazine

Steps:

1. Lay out all supplies beside filthy dirty bbq

2. Begin to scrub

3. Let them come to you. Trust me. They will come.

4. Show them what to do

5. Now, walk away to your alternative activity

Here's a picture in case you're not sure of the steps

Note in the picture that this can be done on a semi-rainy day. Children don't melt when rained on.

How to Fight Evening Exhaustion

Note to self

When feeling extremely drained after the supper hour, plus depressed about the massive mess that surrounds you, here's what you do (as experienced this very evening):

Announce to the children that Mommy needs to lay down.

Lay on the couch.

When the children begin to climb on you, announce (loud enough for your husband to hear):

"I'm going to my bedroom, because I have a feeling this is not going to end well."

Turn a 30 minute movie on for the kids (or just walk upstairs and let your husband to do it, because he's tired too and just wants to veg on the computer).

***By no means are you to feel guilty that they are watching (another) show, as they'll (probably) still turn out fine when grown-up.***

Lay down in your room for 15 minutes. Maybe even lightly snooze for 5 minutes. This ensures you won't have that icky heavy-tired-groggy feeling from sleeping too long that only serves to make you crankier. 

When you wake (because your husband barges in and lays down beside you and begins to immediately snore), make yourself a tea. But ensure you sneak to the kitchen so the kids don't know you're 'awake' yet.

While drinking your tea (or maybe wine if you have any just laying around, since it's faster than tea), think about all the things you did right today. Here are mine:

When my 2 year old was having a massive, over-the-top, sorta-kinda-scary toddler tantrum, I calmly told him to go to his room. When he said no, I calmy put him in his bed with his blankie and closed the door. While listening to his screams, I said to myself, "Be the one in control." And I was. I entered the room 5 minutes later and told him he could leave his room when he was done crying. He decided he was done crying when he heard that. And we concluded the moment with Mommy not joining his tantrum!

Or there's this:

We made polka dot wrapping paper for my niece. And it turned into polka dot water painting on the deck! 

Okay, confession. We didn't actually do this activity today. We did it two weeks ago. But it was a good moment. So it's okay to reflect on it two weeks later.

We try to make all of our own wrapping paper. We got a roll of paper from the local paper mill (it's called a "Butt." True story). It pays to know people who work there. And then we cut strips off and paint it any way we like. Super cheap. Super personal! Super fun!

We like to paint the deck with water using regular paintbrushes too. I use my no spill paint pots so my 2 year old doesn't promptly dump it out. This is PERFECT when trying to accomplish something in the kitchen. 

Okay. Where was I. Oh! Right. 15 minute rest and reflextion.

By this point, you will be 100%!!!

You will have enough energy to put the children in the tub, in bed (hair braided), clean kitchen, sweep floors vacuume rug and even blog!

How to survive Motherhood: Always revert to the 15 minute rest in the evenings!!!

The Truth is . . .

 I discovered a new blog yesterday, The Mommy Therapy.  I have honestly only read a handful of her posts, but I LOVE her! She is so honest, and open, and crazy, and it's great! What I've read of her ramblings sounds very similar to me! When it comes to Motherhood, I feel like I'm very honest and open to my closest friends about how hard I think it is. I even share the insane things I do because of motherhood. But in the bloggy-blog world, I do NOT share. It's taboo to tell the world you're a crazy mother, right? Well, after reading Mommy Therapy - NO! 

My blog highlights small snapshots of the day. Well, it did, until I stopped posting because I couldn't be bothered.  I know that some people have expressed in the past that they think I'm a Supermom. Ugh. I truly hate that word. I think it may be even worse than 'Vagina'. Supermom doesn't exist. I hate to think that someone else would read my blog and think, 'She's Supermom. I wish I was Supermom like her. I'll never be a good mom like that.' 

I'd like the world to know that I have moments of inspiration where I do really fun things with my kids. I had many of those moments before I went back to work. But now I give all of those moments to my students. And truth be told, there's not much left for my kids. But you know what. They don't seem to mind. Because it's the simple things that make them happy. Like having a popsicle in the winter. Or having supper that includes a small bowl of mandarins on the side ("This is my favouritist supper Mommy. Yah!!!"). Or digging out a slip-n-slide you found at a yard sale while listening to your daughter reapeately yelling for the next 40 minutes, "Best day EVER!!!!!!!" (that was during her "Tangled" movie watching phase). 

The moments I post are truly only snapshots. The rest of the day, my kids are either throwing a tantrum, or I am. Many times I'll yell to my kids, "Mommy needs a time-OUT!" Then I stomp up the stairs, slam my door, and stay in my room until I feel better. Sometimes, when the kids are driving me nutso, I sneak off and hide in my walk in closet. With the door closed. And the lights off. *deep breath* So, for all of you that don't know me very well, and haven't heard first hand that my kids drive me crazy - my kids drive me crazy, just like your kids drive you crazy! Yes, I am a real person too.

So on your next bad day, I suggest you check out The Mommy Therapy for, well, a little therapy!

What's Been Happening

Ooooh. Such a bad blog-girl. I just realized the last time I posted was in April. And it's now August. Wow. I don't really know what happened. I guess I got busy? I've been off this summer, so I really shouldn't have an excuse. But actually no, I do.  I don't dare post during the day, or do anything computer related, because the kids hang off of my office chair no matter WHAT I do to distract them with something else and it drives me bonkers, since they're usually whining. And I don't post in the evenings, because I'm too busy READING! That has been my number one goal this summer. I made a Summer List, inspired by Meg at Whatever, and the last item on the list was Read, read, read! I found I just didn't have time to read fiction during the school year. It took me forever to finish books, and usually I am a literal glutton when it comes to fiction. I pick up a book and I gobble that thing down as fast as I possibly can! So far, my favourite read has been The Help by Kathryn Stockett. A gift from my sister. It was accompanied by this:

 

I love it because it represents 3 sisters (I'm the middle). I love my sisters. They are the most important thing in my life! Which of course made me get all sentimental and think crazy thoughts like, "Oh, my kids only have each other. They should have more of each other, at least 2 like I've always had." Then the next day, I was over it. Ha ha!

So I've read at least 6 books this summer, and have now moved onto The Hunger Games which I CANNOT put down. I love Junior fiction, plus I love fiction about the future where the government has gone bad (don't they always?). 

You're very lucky to be hearing from me simply because I had a 'moment' this evening. I was super happy all day, hangin' with my kids, and then after supper I started to feel really tired. I laid down for a few minutes and wanted to sleep SOOOO bad, but got up to help the kids get ready for bed themselves and almost had a Mommy-tantrum I was so instantly cranky from having to get back up. Thankfully the husband was at home to revert to! So I laid back down (this was at 6:56 pm). Then I woke up at 10. Doh! So needless to say, I'm a little alert at 11:30, which doesn't usually happen. I could have slept through if Micah hadn't had a dream, so you're lucky to see me! 

I do have a least two posts I can add (I've been slack with my camera too. Jail time worthy). I'll try to squeeze 'em on in between summer playdates, the beach, reading and walks!

Getting your child to bed without a fuss

Want to get your child to bed without a fuss?

Then transform their room into a hotel, and they'll be begging to go to bed!!!

This post is based on ACTUAL events:

Tonight, Rachel requested a hotel in her room. I asked her how we were going to do that. She indicated all we needed were some chairs, her snow white (snowman) blankie, her 'real' blankie, and that was all! I suggested we add a TV, so she drew on a shoebox. She told me that we needed a remote, so we taped together some popsicle sticks and she added the buttons with her marker. 

 

When her hotel bed was created, she asked enthusiastically, 20 minutes before it was even time to get ready for bed, "Mommy, can I please go to bed RIGHT NOW!?!?!?" Sometimes it's just so hard to say no *sigh.* I told her she could only go to bed if she paid me money, because it costs a lot of money to stay at a hotel. She dug out all her pennies and handed them over happily. She was so excited to go to sleep, she actually forgot all about watching tv and left her tv on the kitchen table!

 This was the nice pose. 

And then . . . 

 This was the silly face pose, 

which she has recently become so fond of. 

Here are some more examples of her fondness of it, just for fun!

This is my fave'! We actually have a progression of photos of her making various silly faces in this moment, and it is very entertaining to flip through them quickly! Cheap entertainment baby!

Keepin' Lunch Time Fresh and Fun!

Is your child tired of boring old sandwiches? 

No longer interested in lunch? 

Then try . . . 

"The Circle Lunch!"

This lunch can then be followed by a delicious round cookie!