I think I'm in trouble.
You know how men are notorious for being big babies when they're sick? Well Ben already has that one down at the ripe old age of four. From the moment he stumbled into my room at 6:30 this morning with rosy cheeks and declared in his most miserable voice "I'm siiiiiiiiiiiick", he has been milking this sickness for all it's worth. He even made me call my mom today to tell her that he was sick. She told him that when she's sick she snuggles up on the couch and watches tv and eats crackers to feel better.
So my little snuggler got up on the couch and wrapped up in a blanket and watched Cars today while the little boys played (L's mom chose, wisely, to keep her home today). Every so often I would come feel his forehead and give him a hug and kiss on the cheek and he tell me, again, in his most miserable voice, that he was sooooooooo sick. Then twenty minutes later he'd be up and running around chasing the little boys.
Soooooooooooooo sick.
Tonight the boys and I were on our own for dinner. Now, I can cook. I really can. Except the only time I enjoy cooking is when it turns out amazingly fantastic and I have the house to myself and I don't have to do a whole lot on top of the stove (I prefer baking). So usually Scott cooks. And when it's just the boys and me we have peanut butter and jelly. So pb & j was on the menu for tonight.
Thanks to Grandma, though, Ben refused to eat pb & j because it "doesn't make me feeling better." He insisted he could only eat crackers because that's what Grandma said would make him feel better. However, the only crackers we had were those little packages of crackers with peanut butter in the middle. And guess what Caleb thought they were?
"Too-ees".
Too-ees are cookies in Caleb speak. And Caleb was so furious at the injustice of being forced to eat pb & j while his brother got Too-ees that he he threw his sandwich across the table. Luckily, it just landed further down on the table, so I just picked it up. It was the principle of the matter, though, so my nearly two year old, who hasn't sat in a high chair in months, was banished to the high chair to finish his dinner, while his older brother smiled smugly and chomped on his Too-ees. Caleb then proceeded to smear his yogurt all over his shirt in rebellion and then complain that he was messy.
And I blame this all on my mother (sorry Mom, but someone has to take the blame for this).
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Pretty Like a Princess
Last night I had a Mary Kay meeting and got home after Ben was already in bed. Except, as is his norm, he wasn't sleeping. He was reading instead. Loudly. So I went up to investigate, and a very excited little boy insisted on reading his book to me. He was SO proud of himself for being able to read it, and I was SO proud of him as well.
I told him how proud I was of him, and informed him that reading hour was done and it was time to sleep. As I tucked the covers in around him, he asked if I'd stay for "just five minutes" because I am his "very best friend". I know a buttering-up technique when I see it, but rarely is this boy ever this sweet, so I complied and crawled in under the covers with him.
After he pulled my arm across his chest and put his own across mine (well, his short little arm made it about to my left breast, where it rested a moment until I slid it down to my ribs), he leaned in and said to me, "Mommy, you're so pretty. Just like a princess".
*sigh*
I just love my boys!
I told him how proud I was of him, and informed him that reading hour was done and it was time to sleep. As I tucked the covers in around him, he asked if I'd stay for "just five minutes" because I am his "very best friend". I know a buttering-up technique when I see it, but rarely is this boy ever this sweet, so I complied and crawled in under the covers with him.
After he pulled my arm across his chest and put his own across mine (well, his short little arm made it about to my left breast, where it rested a moment until I slid it down to my ribs), he leaned in and said to me, "Mommy, you're so pretty. Just like a princess".
*sigh*
I just love my boys!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Bedtime
There are two (well, technically five) parts of the day that I hate:
1. Mealtime
2. Bedtime
Before we address the former, I believe we should address the latter. Now, I know that many parents enjoy bedtime. Sweet little freshly bathed pink-skinned children, ready for their stories, eagerly listening, and then tucked in cozily in their sweet little beds, a kiss on the forehead, an "I love you" and a "sweet dreams", and blowing kisses at the door. It's so peaceful and idyllic. For most people. Except our house looks more like this:
After Scott finally manages to wrestle the boys into the tub and they spend twenty minutes turning into prunes until one of them poops in the tub or knocks his brother nearly unconscious by pushing his head into the faucet, it's time to get out. Now a fight ensues over who gets to drain the water and who has to get out first. Ben typically runs around naked, shouting "I'm a NAKEY boy!", while Scott wrestles a diaper onto Caleb and shoves some pajamas on him. Finally, eventually, both boys have pajamas on.
Getting upstairs to their bedrooms is a small circus act in itself. It involves several trips up and down the stairs to retrieve Lovey (Ben's), Big Blue (Caleb's), milk for Caleb, water for Ben, Ernie (Caleb's), and maybe a favorite book or two that got left downstairs. Then it's a fight in the bathroom over prime tooth-brushing real estate. Normally Caleb loses out and has to stand on the toilet while Ben sits on the counter. Ben MUST put his own toothpaste on his brush, and upon seeing this, Caleb also proclaims "My do! MY DO!" until someone allows him to put his own toothpaste on his brush as well. Of course Caleb doesn't let anyone actually brush his teeth, but I can't have him sucking on the toothbrush and just swallowing all the toothpaste, so I have to pin him down and jam the toothbrush into his mouth in order to at least swipe a couple of his teeth.
Then it's into Caleb's room, where Ben dictates which books will be read to him. The limit is two, although Caleb insists it's 76. Cue tantrum. Ultimately, he gets tucked in, but how I'm not sure, since his brother is usually doing something incredibly noisy in his room like playing with his Marble Works or kicking the wall or singing at the top of his lungs. Caleb doesn't always cry when he's tucked in, but most times he does.
Then it's on to Ben, who insists on a few more drinks, eleventy-five books, and a trip to the bathroom AFTER he's already tucked in. There are usually no tears, but a gazillion questions for me, like "Mommy, why did dinosaurs live in the Cretaceous period?" or "Why do we have to go to church next year?", followed by made up fears. Anything to keep me in his room.
I'm an instant gratification kind of girl. When I want something, I want it NOW. And when I want my break from the people I have seen since six a.m., I want it NOW. I have no patience for bedtime. I like the book reading part, but the rest of it needs to be five minutes, tops. Quicker, if possible.
That's why I hate bedtime.
Mealtime is worse, for several reasons. The main one is that I don't like preparing food. Again, it's the instant gratification. I think of food and want it, NOW. I have no patience for cooking. So when I'm in the kitchen I'm already in a distressed state. Trying to figure out what to feed these picky little boys is no easy task. Trying to figure out what to feed them when they are crowding around me declaring how hungry they are and critiquing everything I pull out of the freezer is even more difficult.
If I manage to survive preparing the food, I can move on to getting their hands washed. Now, keep in mind that during the day I have two daycare kids that I watch. B is 20 months and is also an instant gratification kiddo whose screams rival banshees when he doesn't get what he wants when he wants it, and L is a 3 month old sweetie pie who always just happens to need a nap when I'm in the middle of getting lunch ready. So washing three sets of hands isn't always easy for me, especially when the oldest set has an aversion to water or just being clean in general.
*side note: I'm pretty sure Ben is going to be my boy who doesn't shower or wear deodorant when he's in high school. How can a boy who is so NEAT detest being CLEAN? It makes no sense to me.
Hands washed, the boys race to the table and fight over who sits where. Then it's peace for about 10 minutes while they eat, and I really do appreciate that time. Soon, though, B drops his cups and screams, resulting in mild hearing loss for everybody else in the house. Then Beau (the dog) steals some food from Caleb, and Ben spills his milk. When the meal is done, I have a small panic attack as I realize what a mess I need to clean up. Why on earth we ever decided we needed dining room chairs with beige microfiber seats is beyond me. Soon I will have them re-covered to something more child friendly.
So there you have it. The two times of day (well, five, because there are three meals and nap time) that I absolutely detest. Please tell me I'm not the only one.
1. Mealtime
2. Bedtime
Before we address the former, I believe we should address the latter. Now, I know that many parents enjoy bedtime. Sweet little freshly bathed pink-skinned children, ready for their stories, eagerly listening, and then tucked in cozily in their sweet little beds, a kiss on the forehead, an "I love you" and a "sweet dreams", and blowing kisses at the door. It's so peaceful and idyllic. For most people. Except our house looks more like this:
After Scott finally manages to wrestle the boys into the tub and they spend twenty minutes turning into prunes until one of them poops in the tub or knocks his brother nearly unconscious by pushing his head into the faucet, it's time to get out. Now a fight ensues over who gets to drain the water and who has to get out first. Ben typically runs around naked, shouting "I'm a NAKEY boy!", while Scott wrestles a diaper onto Caleb and shoves some pajamas on him. Finally, eventually, both boys have pajamas on.
Getting upstairs to their bedrooms is a small circus act in itself. It involves several trips up and down the stairs to retrieve Lovey (Ben's), Big Blue (Caleb's), milk for Caleb, water for Ben, Ernie (Caleb's), and maybe a favorite book or two that got left downstairs. Then it's a fight in the bathroom over prime tooth-brushing real estate. Normally Caleb loses out and has to stand on the toilet while Ben sits on the counter. Ben MUST put his own toothpaste on his brush, and upon seeing this, Caleb also proclaims "My do! MY DO!" until someone allows him to put his own toothpaste on his brush as well. Of course Caleb doesn't let anyone actually brush his teeth, but I can't have him sucking on the toothbrush and just swallowing all the toothpaste, so I have to pin him down and jam the toothbrush into his mouth in order to at least swipe a couple of his teeth.
Then it's into Caleb's room, where Ben dictates which books will be read to him. The limit is two, although Caleb insists it's 76. Cue tantrum. Ultimately, he gets tucked in, but how I'm not sure, since his brother is usually doing something incredibly noisy in his room like playing with his Marble Works or kicking the wall or singing at the top of his lungs. Caleb doesn't always cry when he's tucked in, but most times he does.
Then it's on to Ben, who insists on a few more drinks, eleventy-five books, and a trip to the bathroom AFTER he's already tucked in. There are usually no tears, but a gazillion questions for me, like "Mommy, why did dinosaurs live in the Cretaceous period?" or "Why do we have to go to church next year?", followed by made up fears. Anything to keep me in his room.
I'm an instant gratification kind of girl. When I want something, I want it NOW. And when I want my break from the people I have seen since six a.m., I want it NOW. I have no patience for bedtime. I like the book reading part, but the rest of it needs to be five minutes, tops. Quicker, if possible.
That's why I hate bedtime.
Mealtime is worse, for several reasons. The main one is that I don't like preparing food. Again, it's the instant gratification. I think of food and want it, NOW. I have no patience for cooking. So when I'm in the kitchen I'm already in a distressed state. Trying to figure out what to feed these picky little boys is no easy task. Trying to figure out what to feed them when they are crowding around me declaring how hungry they are and critiquing everything I pull out of the freezer is even more difficult.
If I manage to survive preparing the food, I can move on to getting their hands washed. Now, keep in mind that during the day I have two daycare kids that I watch. B is 20 months and is also an instant gratification kiddo whose screams rival banshees when he doesn't get what he wants when he wants it, and L is a 3 month old sweetie pie who always just happens to need a nap when I'm in the middle of getting lunch ready. So washing three sets of hands isn't always easy for me, especially when the oldest set has an aversion to water or just being clean in general.
*side note: I'm pretty sure Ben is going to be my boy who doesn't shower or wear deodorant when he's in high school. How can a boy who is so NEAT detest being CLEAN? It makes no sense to me.
Hands washed, the boys race to the table and fight over who sits where. Then it's peace for about 10 minutes while they eat, and I really do appreciate that time. Soon, though, B drops his cups and screams, resulting in mild hearing loss for everybody else in the house. Then Beau (the dog) steals some food from Caleb, and Ben spills his milk. When the meal is done, I have a small panic attack as I realize what a mess I need to clean up. Why on earth we ever decided we needed dining room chairs with beige microfiber seats is beyond me. Soon I will have them re-covered to something more child friendly.
So there you have it. The two times of day (well, five, because there are three meals and nap time) that I absolutely detest. Please tell me I'm not the only one.
A Slight Change
When I started this blog, I copied from other blogs I've read and nicknamed everyone in my house. Somehow I recently realized that this is a method that just doesn't work for me. So, from this point on, my husband is Scott, and my kids are Ben and Caleb. Much easier to keep track of, I think. Plus, I don't have to think when I'm writing. I just write. I don't have to worry about nicknames. Now you don't, either.
It just works, I think.
It just works, I think.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Valentine's Day (belated)
I've been on an Awesome Mama kick lately. I know, I know, you are quite shocked because you thought I've always been an awesome mama, but the truth is most days I'm mediocre at best. Most days it's all I can do to get through the day without screaming at somebody, and I usually spend half the day on Facebook (hence the hiatus. But that's another story for another day, if I get around to it). Usually my most creative moment with my children is coloring, or (gasp) painting.
But this Valentine's Day, I was pretty much awesome. Look at what I did:
I made these pretty cool sensory bins for the boys.
As you can see, they were quite a success. They've enjoyed them for pretty much the whole month. I get these things out and the boys all go crazy. This usually buys me a good 15 minutes at least!
These are the Valentines Munkin and I made for his class. Pretty cute, if you ask me!
The boys got delicious heart-shaped french toast with nutella and strawberries, along with strawberry milk for breakfast. Also note the mailbox full of goodies from the Target dollar bin and M&M's (they wouldn't fit).
They were pretty happy with their breakfast choice!
And, of course, since I'm on an Awesome kick, I got up early and made breakfast for Mr. (he leaves for work at 6:15 am, so I REALLY got up early). He was pretty happy with his, too.
Snack time brought these delicious cherry pie pocket things:
(the boys didn't like them)
And this was lunch:
(hot dogs and pink mac & cheese)
After naptime, I tried the whole paint-in-a-ziploc thing. It was ok. They got bored pretty fast though.
Dinner was heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's:
And everyone had little gifts at their seats when they got up in the morning!
So, that was my one day of awesome-ness.
I think that's enough to last me a while, right?
But this Valentine's Day, I was pretty much awesome. Look at what I did:
I made these pretty cool sensory bins for the boys.
These are the Valentines Munkin and I made for his class. Pretty cute, if you ask me!
The boys got delicious heart-shaped french toast with nutella and strawberries, along with strawberry milk for breakfast. Also note the mailbox full of goodies from the Target dollar bin and M&M's (they wouldn't fit).
And, of course, since I'm on an Awesome kick, I got up early and made breakfast for Mr. (he leaves for work at 6:15 am, so I REALLY got up early). He was pretty happy with his, too.
Snack time brought these delicious cherry pie pocket things:
(the boys didn't like them)
And this was lunch:
(hot dogs and pink mac & cheese)
After naptime, I tried the whole paint-in-a-ziploc thing. It was ok. They got bored pretty fast though.
Dinner was heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's:
And everyone had little gifts at their seats when they got up in the morning!
So, that was my one day of awesome-ness.
I think that's enough to last me a while, right?
Bring on the Reinforcements!
Yesterday my in-laws came for a visit from New Hampshire. Mr. and I are getting away for a night tomorrow night, and I'm not sure who was more excited for the grandparents' arrival- us or the boys. Munkin Man could hardly contain himself the night before they came, and was up well past 9:30 because, as he said while throwing his arms up and down in excited exasperation, "I am JUST so EXCITED for GRAMMIE and PAPA to BE here!" We had the same problem with naptime yesterday, until I threatened to not let him go to the airport with Daddy to pick them up unless he took a nap.
It was no wonder, then, that the second he saw them he started jabbering and did not shut up until his grandparents (not me, not his dad) tucked him in to bed. When they arrived, exhausted, at our house at around dinner time, Munkin wasted no time showing them every. single. thing. in our house, as Bug toddled behind saying "yeah!" in agreement with his brother, as though he had to get his word in as well.
When I say everything, I mean everything. A couple hours after they got here, we heard this coming from the bathroom:
"Papa! Come look at my poop and wipe my butt!"
Welcome to Iowa, Grammie and Papa!
It was no wonder, then, that the second he saw them he started jabbering and did not shut up until his grandparents (not me, not his dad) tucked him in to bed. When they arrived, exhausted, at our house at around dinner time, Munkin wasted no time showing them every. single. thing. in our house, as Bug toddled behind saying "yeah!" in agreement with his brother, as though he had to get his word in as well.
When I say everything, I mean everything. A couple hours after they got here, we heard this coming from the bathroom:
"Papa! Come look at my poop and wipe my butt!"
Welcome to Iowa, Grammie and Papa!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Two Things...
Ok, I have two things to discuss:
1. Bug has Hand, Foot & Mouth disease. I'm not convinced that the last time he was diagnosed with it he actually had it. This time, I'm convinced, as he has a fever of 103 and sores in his mouth and on his hand. I've seen these sores (unlike last time, when I didn't see them), so I believe it. And he is miserable. I can't wait for Saturday so Mr. can spend a little time with him!
2. Munkin Man has been absolutely terrible lately and I think it's because I've been slacking. Time to toughen up again! What really drives me nuts is when he commands (in a very whiny voice) me to do something. My policy is that you ask politely in a big person voice if you want something.
Right now it's "MooommmmmEEEEEEE! I. Want. BWEAKfast! MOMMMmmmmmmEEEEEEEEEEEEE! BWEAKFAST! AHHHAAHHHH! BWEAKFAST!!!"
What I need to hear is, "Mommy, can I have breakfast please?"
So much simpler. So much less effort to say. So much nicer.
He's also quite bossy with his brother, and has been taking toys away from him. It is not smart to take toys from a sick baby. Sick Baby's mama will be all over you in a second! Keep Sick Baby happy at all costs, because he's Sick Baby!
So, Operation Straighten Up is in full effect. I am rewarding and praising good behavior like crazy, and even the tiniest of infractions will land a boy in either time out or in his room. And I'm not above taking away cars and trucks if it comes down to it.
Yes, I am that tough!
1. Bug has Hand, Foot & Mouth disease. I'm not convinced that the last time he was diagnosed with it he actually had it. This time, I'm convinced, as he has a fever of 103 and sores in his mouth and on his hand. I've seen these sores (unlike last time, when I didn't see them), so I believe it. And he is miserable. I can't wait for Saturday so Mr. can spend a little time with him!
2. Munkin Man has been absolutely terrible lately and I think it's because I've been slacking. Time to toughen up again! What really drives me nuts is when he commands (in a very whiny voice) me to do something. My policy is that you ask politely in a big person voice if you want something.
Right now it's "MooommmmmEEEEEEE! I. Want. BWEAKfast! MOMMMmmmmmmEEEEEEEEEEEEE! BWEAKFAST! AHHHAAHHHH! BWEAKFAST!!!"
What I need to hear is, "Mommy, can I have breakfast please?"
So much simpler. So much less effort to say. So much nicer.
He's also quite bossy with his brother, and has been taking toys away from him. It is not smart to take toys from a sick baby. Sick Baby's mama will be all over you in a second! Keep Sick Baby happy at all costs, because he's Sick Baby!
So, Operation Straighten Up is in full effect. I am rewarding and praising good behavior like crazy, and even the tiniest of infractions will land a boy in either time out or in his room. And I'm not above taking away cars and trucks if it comes down to it.
Yes, I am that tough!
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