Even More Thankful for Her…
Posted by G.I. Jane
I’m not alone with this post. I’m one of many, millions. All saying the same thing. All feeling the same thing.
Thankfulness for our children. Appreciation for their silliness and smiles and sweet voices. Newfound patience for their tantrums and mistakes. Overwhelming, overflowing love for their very existence. And, now a paralazying fear that something could happen to them at any moment.
Bloggers, journalists and just about everyone are writing about “The Newtown Effect…” and how we’re all hugging our children a bit tighter these days. I find myself overpowered by emotion for the Newtown parents and community; unable to stop the tears at work as I think of my own 2-year-old daughter.
I don’t have words of wisdom or expert advice on talking to children about violence or world events, but I do know this event will live in my heart forever and, therefore, so should the gratefulness of all [...]
Toddlers Do Not Make Good Flowergirls
Posted by G.I. Jane
I understand that having a flower girl in one’s wedding is a tradition that dates back to early Greek and Roman times (really, I’m not making this up) and is meant to scatter some type of flower or grain to represent fertility or eternal love or something…
However, it seems to me, as a mother of a two year old that tradition would be better served by a young girl that will ACTUALLY walk down the aisle or ACTUALLY scatter said flowers. Not throw tantrums or refuse to move. And should that young girl not exist, then perhaps forgoing the flower girl tradition should be the next option. I’m sure the bride will still be fertile or happy in her marriage without stepping on a few wilted petals– trust me, I know.
Now, I [...]
When Every Minute is Accounted For
Posted by G.I. Jane
Since becoming a mother my life has transformed into a living, breathing schedule. Every minute is accounted for, slots of time have specific activities assigned to them, routines have become critical to maintaining order and each action is pre-calculated.
Gone is a time when days were fluid and free; errands could be run at a moment’s notice, dinner plans could be made while walking out the door and “me” time was all the time.
Here are a few of my examples:
- Talks over dinner often include coordinating calendars;
- Trips to the gym require prior knowledge so one parent knows they are on deck;
- Going grocery shopping involves careful planning to occur during particular hours of the day, preferably after a meal and not too close to naptime;
- You plan your day in a series of time blocks – if we do breakfast at 8, then I can run errands and be back by naptime, then we’ll [...]
The Fight
Posted by WardI was at work yesterday and my phone rings. As most people do, I checked the phone number to see if I recognized it. It was one of those familiar looking numbers that I just couldn’t place. So, feeling like I needed to add a little risk to my day in the office, I answered the call. Turns out it was the principal of my sons’ school. She said, “Andrew was in a fight today and I would like to meet with you, Andrew and his mother tomorrow morning to discuss this.”
My first reaction was to ask if he won, but I stopped in mid-sentence and asked if the boys involved were OK. I kind of already knew Andrew would be – he’s just that kind of a kid.
Andrew is six and actually having a pretty good year in kindergarten, so this was a surprise. And, although he is a stocky, tough [...]
My Kids – They Love to Hate Each Other
Posted by ClairI was smart, crazy, whatever you want to call it, and I had my kids close together…18 months close. The first 2 or 6 years were a blur, but now, as they are getting older it is a lot of fun. They are becoming individual people. They are no longer a package deal. When they were little, they were known as “A and B”, now “A” is developing his own interests and social circles, and “B” is finding her own way out from under her big brother’s shadow. Logistically this new found independence is tricky, but it is amazing to watch them develop interests, follow dreams, and work towards goals – their own goals.
As wonderful as this all sounds, they are also discovering how irritated they truly are by each other. They now realize that they don’t have to rely on each other to do everything. “A” now sees that [...]
Allowance
Posted by Ward
Wanting to teach my children the value of money, I thought it would be good to start giving them an allowance. They get their money each week if they clean up their toys in the basement, on the main floor and in their rooms. This way every time we go to Target or Walmart, they are not asking me to buy them something; they should have the money to buy it themselves.This has been going on for several months now and I think they have gotten down the concept that they need to save for bigger things, which is why my house is now full of a ton of little things. They just can’t save. I will give them their allowance once the house is straightened, and no matter where we go [...]
Should Have Looked That One Up
Posted by Martha
About three weeks ago I noticed a small itchy rash on my 6-year old’s leg. “I didn’t think we had any poison oak in the yard,” I said to him. Oh, and the patch of the alleged poison oak was also in a perfectly round shape. He didn’t complain too much about the itch and we continued on as normal, occasionally dabbing on my go-to miracle cure for everything A+D Ointment. It is truly a miracle cream. Plus it’s super fun to give some to a childless friend and as she’s putting it on her chapped lips announce that it’s really for baby bums. Screech!Last week my mother-in-law came to town. Within minutes of seeing her beloved grandson she identified the rash as ringworm. My confidence as a seasoned mother with [...]
Bathroom MacGyver
Posted by Clair
When I go into my son’s bathroom I find the usual toothpaste, toothbrush, wadded up towels, piles of clothes, and such. But, I also find the not-so-usual duct tape, pocket knife, action figures, Guinness Book of World Records, paper, pencil, and Sweet Tarts. Sweet Tarts, really? What. Is. He. Doing. In. There?So, as any good mother would do, I set up a recon mission.
Objective: Discover what The Boy is doing in the bathroom.
Step one: Clean the bathroom. Yes, I cleaned it. I wanted it done to my specifications; after all, this is an official mission, of sorts.
Step two: Use the kitchen timer to see EXACTLY how long he is in the bathroom.
Step three: Re-enter the bathroom after his extended stay to compare mental before-and-after notes.
Step four: Confront said child and explain the purpose of the bathroom, [...]
