More proof

Like we need more proof that Emma, aka Mini Melissa, is my daughter.

We're having a family dinner tonight with my parents and brother to celebrate my dad's birthday. Emma's super excited because we're eating at a restaurant. Much as I did as a child (who am I kidding, I love it now too), Emma loves loves loves eating at restaurants. And much like my childhood, she rarely gets to.

I spoke to my mom about our dinner plans on the phone today, while she was eating lunch at a local fast food restaurant. Emma spent the entire time I was on the phone pestering me to let her talk to my mom. But the restaurant was loud, and my mom was trying to eat, so I hung up without letting her.

Before Emma had time to whine about not being able to talk on the phone, I said "Granny was at a restaurant for lunch so she couldn't talk for long."

And Emma replies, "Awwww, lucky Granny getting to eat at a restaurant TWO times today!"

I completely agree.

Not Me Monday!

It's Monday, therefore it's time to reveal the not so perfect parenting moments of the week. Hosted by MckMama, it's all about our less than perfect times. Join in!

I certainly did not allow my children to wear their new swimsuits from morning until night on Thursday. No way, my children wear clothes during the day and save their swim suits for swimming.

I didn't suggest an ice cream treat on Saturday because I wanted ice cream. I suggested it because I knew they'd love the treat, of course. I also didn't mention the ice cream treat right before resting time so they'd stay quietly in their rooms in order to earn the treat. Nor did I wear my swimsuit and cover up to Baskin Robbins. Not me.

I didn't buy Emma a numbers workbook so she'd stay quietly in her room during resting time. Not me, I only have her academic needs in mind when I buy her workbooks.

I most certainly did not drink day old coffee yesterday morning before my run. That'd be gross.

My kids grew gills last night

We left my mother in law's pool yesterday with Emma's hair dry from refusing to get her head wet and Grant having only gone off the diving board once and refusing to jump off the side. They both spent more time playing with the other toys in the backyard than swimming in the pool. No matter, we had a nice time, and Hubs and I enjoyed cooling off in the pool.

Today, it was like I was at the pool with two completely different children. Grant couldn't get enough jumps off the diving board, at one point he was actually trying to land on our heads when he jumped instead of just jumping off the board. When both of our legs were jello and we made him take a break from the diving board he started jumping obsessively from the steps and the side. He worked on his bellyflops (he's just fall off the side like a board), he worked on his cannonballs, and he worked on checking that someone was there to catch him before he hurled himself off the side. At one point, after jumping off the side before anyone got there, Hubs reminded him that he needs to let us know he's ready to jump so we can catch him. So, with Hubs sitting on the steps behind him, and me across the pool with Emma, Grant yells out "Me ready to jump!" and jumps. So clearly we still need to work on that one.

Emma, now Emma blew our socks off today. This girl is infamous for completing 2 weeks of swim lessons last year with her hair dry. She refuses to put her face in the water, even with goggles. In fact, she wears goggles to run through the sprinkler. Who does that? But today, after growing gills last night, the girl had no fear. After swimming for over an hour, and just as we're getting ready to get out and head home, she decides she's going to work on bobbing. She was only going up to her nose, so I challenged her to bob with me and tell me if my eyes were open or closed. A few bobs later and she's all the way under the water. So then I challenge her to stay under longer and tickle her face with bubbles by blowing the bubbles out her mouth. She plugs her nose, takes a breath, and ducks under the water to blow out her bubbles. We do that FOREVER, and then I challenge her to bob down with her knees on the bottom of the pool. Again, she takes me up on the challenge. Then I challenge her to lay her belly on the bottom of the pool. That one was logistically hard for her to manage since she had one hand on her nose and the other hand on the side of the pool. But then suddenly she let go of the wall and started kicking with her face under the water!!!!! It was unbelievable. Seriously, unbelievable. Over and over she would plug her nose, stick her head under the water, and start to kick. Several times she got water up her nose when she'd take her hand off her nose, but over and over she'd pop up and blow her nose instead of freaking out.

On the way home, Hubs comments "Well, you two have turned into little fish, haven't you?" And Emma replies "I'm a mermaid Dad, not a fish." Grant says "Me mermaid too." To which Emma reminds him, "You're a merMAN, Grant, not a mermaid." Grant agrees with "Oh right, me merman."

What an incredible afternoon!

It was a wholesome sort of day

My freshman year in college my friends would call my family "The Wholesome Family". They'd tease me about how American pie we were, my married parents 2 kids one dog family. We sang in the car on road trips, we went to soccer games, swim meets, and church. We ate dinner as a family, we went on family vacations on our sailboat, and we rode bikes together. The clincher though, and the one I know made all my dorm friends secretly jealous, was that my mom sent me home made cookies every month in a care package. Every single month for all four years of college. And in January, my roommate's birthday month, she'd send my roommate the package with her favorite cookies in them.

Now that I'm a parent, it's my goal to live a similar Wholesome Family life. Not exactly the same thing of course, Hubs and I are different people than my parents with different hobbies and interests. But I'd love to hear Emma laugh at how her dorm friends call us The Wholesome Family.

Today was another notch in the Wholesome Family belt. We wandered around a big college town Farmer's Market in the morning. As it warmed up, we bought fresh squeezed lemonade and sat in the shade to sip the lemonade and munch on just purchased blueberries and strawberries. After we were done there, we headed over to a science museum nearby. The kids ran around while Hubs and I explained the wonder around the wind tunnel or the balloon rocket or the static ball.

We had pb & j for lunch with apples slices and juice boxes. After resting time ends we're trooping over to Baskin Robbins for a hot weather treat and then to my mother in law's to swim the afternoon away. We'll finish our day with hamburgers and Farmer's Market corn on the cob.

Wholesome Family 2009 - yes we are.

Signs of summer

We've been spending every afternoon outside in the backyard - splashing in the inflatable pool, riding bikes, hula hooping, jump roping, playing golf with Grant's plastic clubs, playing t-ball.

Yesterday, our entire playdate consisted of the kids playing in an inflatable pool, the slip n slide, and the puddle from the slip n slide, while the adults sat in the shade and talked.

We are rarely rushing out of the house in the morning. In fact, today the kids are napping/ resting in their pjs.

We're eating corn on the cob, watermelon, grapes, strawberries, and tomatoes off of plastic plates at the outside table.

I'm already storing away "hot weather" excursions for those days when it tops 100 degrees. Like tomorrow.

Hubs has kayaking plans and birthday parties are at splash parks.

The kids constantly smell like sun screen.

Ahhhhh summer is here.

This is my nightmare

So remember the mouse I referenced in my Not Me Monday post? It's returned. To the inside of my house now.

We just walked in from the grocery store, and as I'm bussling around putting the groceries away Grant non chalantly looks at me, points into the dining room and says "Look Mama, mouse. Dere, mouse." I look at him, say "Are you kidding me?" and when he shakes his head no, I peek into the dining room and sure enough, that stinking mouse is sitting in the corner of the dining room looking at me.

Emma runs screaming for the couch, I hop up onto a dining room chair and Grant looks like he's about to go and pet it until I redirect him to the couch. As Emma screams and cries and carries on I call Hubs to freak out and ask for some guidance on getting the thing out of our house. I get his voicemail. It starts to run closer to me, I dial the phone again, he answers and I yell out "THERE'S A MOUSE IN OUR HOUSE AND I'M FREAKING OUT HERE." He laughs and suggests I get it out of the house. Thanks helpful, glad you picked up the phone this time. As we're talking it's crawling closer to me and it's everything in me not to scream long and loud.

Hubs finally stops laughing long enough to suggest I get a broom to sweep it out. That seemed ludacrious to me but I didn't have any other ideas so I crept off my chair and got the broom. As I walked back into the house, I watched the cat walk right by the mouse and out the door I had left open in hopes the mouse would let itself out. Great. Thanks cat. After fetching the cat, I couldn't find the mouse. Turns out it had crawled into the back of the wine cooler. After sweeping it out of there it ran back to the corner, then as I swept it out of there it finally ran out the door. I slammed the door shut and took a deep breath.

Emma was still screaming and crying. I called Hubs, voicemail again, to let him know all was well and we were (temporarily appearantly) mouse free. Emma calmed down, Grant is wandering around looking for more mice, and I'm working up the courage to take the kids outside to play.

Freaking nightmare.

Things I never thought I'd say out loud

-Keep your penis in your underwear in the kitchen please.

-Please take your fishing pole out of the roses.

-Nightlights do not sleep in your bed.

-Please take the stroller off the wall.

-Rolly pollys don't go in your ears.

-Don't lick the yogurt off the floor when it spills.

-Toothbrushes are not for toilets!

Not Me Monday!

Another week, another round of confessions from this not perfect mom! If you choose to join in, be sure to leave your link in my comments so we can all enjoy your lack of perfection.

-I most certainly did not bribe the kids to have oatmeal instead of their favorite cereal this morning by telling them they could mix in brown sugar just so I could use the last of the milk in my coffee. Nope, not me.

-When we turned on Sesame Street the other day I did not convince Emma to choose the one with Neil Patrick Harris as the Shoe Fairy simply because it cracks me up to see Doogie Howser on Sesame Street. I would neeeeever do such a thing. I certainly am NOT still entertained by Sesame Street.

-I certainly did not strictly enforce quiet resting time on Saturday just so I could dive into a quick read book. I only enforce quiet resting time for the good of the children, not for my benefit.

-I did not look the other way when Grant picked up the sprinkler and started spraying down every last thing in the backyard simply because the look on Emma's face as she ran away was hilarious. Never would I do such a thing.

-And finally, I did not almost scream like a school girl and sprint into the house when Hubs discovered a mouse living in the blanket on the chair right next to mine at our patio table as we were sitting down to dinner. I most certainly did not try to refuse to sit outside to eat even though Hubs claimed the mouse had run to the far side of the yard. And I most certainly do not get the heeby jeebes every single time I think of taking a step outside. Not me.

Weekend Funnies

At bedtime tonight, Grant jumped up and wrapped his legs around Emma while they were hugging. And she just stood there, like the bionic woman, laughing and laughing. Then yelling her arms were hurting.

And this one will make my Dad's heart sing - Grant ate his first apple whole on Friday. He let me know he was done with it by handing me the seeds and the stem. That's all that was left. Just like my dad, who would regularly be horrified at how much apple I left on the core and how much chicken I left on the bone when I was growing up.

Snippets

I changed the ring on the house phone to one of the songs that comes programmed into the phone. It's awful and it makes me laugh every single time the phone rings.

Grant can turn the simplest foods into the biggest mess. He just finished eating those yellow cherries and there is cherry juice everywhere.

Emma's great joy in life right now is the Highlights ads that come in the mail. They have a dot-to-dot, a hidden picture, and a find the silly pictures in the bigger picture. She also adores the scratch off part where they try to entice you to order by offering free gifts.

Hubs just finished a big stressful trial by getting guilty verdicts. Life is so much more peaceful and calm when he's out of trial.

Oh, and an update

I've been slow to update on Grant's big boy bed progress.

He's been doing great. One little incident over the weekend where Hubs went to get him from his nap and discovered the floor lamp halfway across the room and Grant snuggling with the nightlight. But other than that, he's been staying put when falling asleep and when waking up.

It's dreamy.

I feel safer now

Capital One's fraud department just called. They wanted to confirm a recent transaction on my credit card to make sure someone else wasn't using my card. I have to admit, I was expecting a call this week. I mean, after all, I just drove the length of the state and back, buying gas all along the way. Surely that raised some red flags on my account.

So the lady says to me "On June 15th $48.53 was charged to your account by ADT Security. Is this an authorized charge?"

And I say "You mean the alarm company charge that has been automatically charged to my credit card on the 15th for the last 2 years? Yep, that's an authorized charge."

To which the lady replies, "Thank you for working with us to keep your account safe. Have a great afternoon." And hangs up. No mention of the gas station charges all throughout the state.

Wow. Thanks Capital One for keeping my account safe.

My Citibank commericial

gas to drive the length of the state and back - $87.34

impulse shopping trip to Crate & Barrel - $31.31

staying on the club level of the hotel, afternoon tea, dessert, breakfast, hors 'd vours, and breakfast again in the club lounge, dinner at a fancy restaurant with basil mousse on Greek strawberry yogurt as pre-dessert, valet parking, and pillow top beds - "part of the package" says Miranda repeatedly

a kid free/husband free weekend with my besties from college - priceless

I hate change

Well I ripped the bandaid off and switched the crib to a toddler bed. He's been in there 18 minutes and he's called me in twice. Both times he was still in the bed, although his pillow, blanket, and bear were not. This is already better than Emma's first time in a bed.

I don't even know what to title this one

Based on the look of Grant's room when he opened his door just now, I'd say he's been out of his crib and "playing" for a good 20 minutes. He opened his door to throw a stuffed animal out. I wonder if I should just take his crib down now and attempt a big boy bed for the first time at bedtime. On a night where Hubs is teaching a class and won't be home as backup.

Not Me Monday!

Brought to you by MckMama, Not Me Monday is where we get real about parenting. Enjoy!

I most certainly did not smear sunscreen all over my kids' faces, leaving their arms, legs, and neck bare, and then pop a hat on each of them when we arrived at the park. Thereby eliminating the need for sunscreen on their faces.

And I do not go to Sam's Club so often for a soft pretzel "treat" for the kids and a Diet Coke for me that the register lady starts ringing us up when she sees me. Not me.

One night last week, at 3 am or so, when Emma woke me up because her pull up had leaked all over the bed, I certainly did not just cover the wet spot with a towel, pull the top sheet over it and have her lay on the top sheet. No way, not me! I always change the whole bed when there is an accident!

Finally, I certainly did not leave the children's clean clothes waded up in the laundry basket, in the hall outside their bedrooms, all week long. Not me, that would make them so wrinkly I would need to throw them back into the hamper. Which I, of course, didn't do.

Blog Book Tour - Part 2

I just finished reading "Life on Planet Mom" by Lisa T. Bergren. It was like sitting down to a cup of coffee with a friend and discussing all the ups and downs of being a mom, all the changes you go through the day you become a mom, and how every single relationship you have changes in a heartbeat. Bergren's style of writing was easy to read, filled with personal stories of her own and from the mom's she surveyed, and most important, it was real. There was no sugar coating the fact that life is different for women once they become moms. Isn't that so refreshing to hear? Let's say it one more time - your life changes immensely the moment you become a mom. Not so much for your husband/ father of your child.

Broken down into six sections (plus a conclusion I'll get to in just a minute), Bergren addresses all the relationships that change with the addition of that little baby in your life. From your relationship with your husband to your relationship with the world to your relationship with God, Bergren covers them all. She offers validation, suggestions for positive change, and thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter.

I found chapter 1 the most gratifying and validating. Titled "Well, enough about me. What do you think about me? How becoming a mom changes you", this chapter was one I should have read the day I brought my daughter home from the hospital. And then re-read every year on her birthday. I was completely unprepared for the changes motherhood would bring me, and I still work daily to find and maintain Melissa amongst the Mom. Chapter 1 validated all of my feelings around loving and struggling with motherhood all at the same time, as well as encouraging me to get out there and take care of me too! What more could a SAHM ask for from a book?!?!

Each chapter of the book traveled the same path of validation and encouragement. Even the Conclusion was wonderful! In the Conclusion, Bergren lays out 6 areas moms should try and keep up in, even when you're in that season of "barely surviving it" (and seriously, who among us hasn't been in that season?). Those 6 areas are God, Self, Spouse, Extended family, Friends, and Community/ world. Coincidentally enough, also the 6 subjects the book covers. But after laying out the 6 areas so concisely in the conclusion, she goes on to give tips on spending just 30 minutes a day keeping up in these areas - that's just 5 minutes a day! We can all do that. And then, when we aren't in the "barely surviving it" phase anymore, our relationships aren't so neglected. Brilliant plan Lisa!

I can't wait to re-read this book in the fall as part of our MOPS curriculum. And I can't wait to hear the thoughts from the other mamas as my MOPS discussion table. But beyond that, I can't wait to recommend this book to all my friends who aren't attached to a MOPS group (hear that Stacey? Kelly? Miranda?). This is a must read book for moms of young children, that's for sure!

Ahhh the trying 3's are here

You know, the trying threes. Right after the terrible twos. Where they "try" to do everything themselves, where they "try" your patience, where they "try" to get away with murder. It's the new 2's I tell you. Emma's trying 3's were WAY worse than her terrible twos. And Grant's appears to have arrived. Here's the conversation I just had with him. It's important for you to know he's been quietly in bed for 20 minutes.

Grant: Uh-oh, mama come here peas.
Me: (walks into his room) Yes?
G: Rooter (rooster) not in here (he's pointing to the rooster flashlight that is out of place. It's sitting on a chair, it should be in his toy basket. However, he wants it out of his room)
M: Okay (I pick it up and start to walk out with it)
G: Noooo, in here (said in a sing songy voice)
M: Okaaaay. (and I toss it into his basket)
G: Noooo, out here (he's pointing out of the room)
M: Please decide.
G: In here.
M: That's it. (and I walk out of the room and shut the door)
G: NO OUT HERE. ROOTER OUT.OF.HERE. OUT HERE! OUT HERE! ROOTER OUT HERE!
M: (I go back in) You decided you wanted it in your room, it's staying in your room. Good night. (and I leave)
G: (hysterical screaming and crying, general carrying about the rooster. High drama, lots of tears, etc.)
M: (I go back in). Knock it off. You're crying over a rooster. Now lay down and go to sleep.
G: (more hysterical carrying ons for 2 or 3 minutes. When it doesn't calm down I go back in)
M: Last time I'm saying this. Stop crying, lay down, and go to sleep.
G: (magically stops all crying) Kleenex peas. (in the calmest, sweetest voice ever.)

Good grief.

Screeching halt

Nothing shows how much work a mom does in a day until the mom gets sick. One look around this place and it's evident I haven't been feeling well. I got slammed (literally, one minute I'm feeling fine, the next minute my throat is killing me) with a horrible cold on Monday night and I've been dragging around this place ever since. Hubs is crazy busy at work so he's coming home exhausted too. Dishes are piling up, we're running out of groceries, laundry is barely getting done (yesterday I loaded in Grant's clothes, shut the door, added soap and just walked away. Without turning the washer on.), carpets need vacuumed, floors need swept, bathrooms need to be cleaned. My tidy something everyday project has fallen by the wayside. The kids are watching too much tv. Things are in shambles around here.

I have faith I'll feel better tomorrow, but the task of cleaning up around here is daunting. Progress has been made today though - today I could taste my food.

Not Me Monday!

Started by MckMama, Not Me Monday is all about being real about the perfect moms we are NOT!

After running to Trader Joe's last night for a few unexpected ingredients for dinner, I certainly did not just wander around the store reveling in the sheer delight of being child free in the store, knowing my family was at home and very hungry. Not me.

And I certainly did not turn Sesame Street on at 8:30am after a particularly trying morning just to have some blasted peace and quiet. Not me, I never use the TV for babysitting.

I did not clean the hair out of the shower drain, wipe down the soap shelf with a sponge and declare the bathroom clean. Not me, I always clean the bathroom top to bottom with cleanser. Every week.

Finally, I absolutely did not drive off to church yesterday with Emma's carseat in my car, thereby stranding her and Hubs at home, and making them late for the baseball game she was so excited to get to. Nope, not me.