Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Mmmm. sketti!

Everything is better covered in tomato sauce.





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Monday, July 19, 2010

Chores

So we decided that Hannah is old enough to start pulling her own weight around the house. First chore on the list: Dishes!



Next week: Laundry:)

Friday, July 9, 2010

A great response

I recently had a single friend tell me that she wished she could be a stay-at-home mom so that she could "just cook dinner every night". It hurt a little to hear that that is what she thought we did all day. My sister-in-law sent me this great article that was printed in the Washington Post and I thought I'd share it all with you. It sums up my thoughts exactly.


By Carolyn Hax
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Dear Carolyn:

Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .

Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.

Tacoma, Wash.


Dear Tacoma,

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself

Monday, July 5, 2010

Lumpy Bed

Can you see it?


There is something in the bed making the left pillow a little off...


Hum, what could it be?


A little closer?


Ah-Ha!


Our dog was so worn out that she would not move out of OUR bed when I was trying to make it the other morning... so, I made it anyway.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

What I am learning.... page 837.

1. "No" may be a word that is said often by a cute 18-month-old, but that does not mean that she also understands said word when it is spoken to her. I think I may go get her ears checked.

2. Said cute toddler loves to climb on everything EXCEPT the time-out stool. This device she steers clear of.

3. Holding is only for times when my hands are completely full and I am trying to get things done. Walking is for crowded parking lots, grocery stores and any other spot where holding would be a lot better option. If I accidently forget preference and try to object, crying loudly ensues. Followed by dirty looks from Hannah and bystanders who are wondering why I am holding my screaming, wiggling child upside down through the parking lot.

4. Speaking of grocery stores and parking lots, shopping carts are no longer fun and interesting. However, what is fun and interesting is climbing out of shopping carts, standing in shopping carts, and trying to touch anyone who tries to walk by the shopping cart that is currently occupied.

5. The longer a meal takes to be prepared, the worse it tastes to a cute 18-month-old. Chicken ravioli and twice baked potatoes= garbage. Goldfish and poptarts= delightful!

6. Naptime is bliss... but not when it is for only 1 hour.

Can you tell we've had a rough morning? It's a good thing she's cute.