Wow it has been long....

I am not sure why I stopped writing on here. Well, actually I am. I felt very exposed knowing people were reading my thoughts and I felt like it opened me up for ridicule or criticism. Insecure, much? At any rate, I loved coming here and writing, putting my thoughts out there for anyone or no one to read but then I started to worry. I worried about what people would be thinking of my writing, my stories and the whole idea of blogging. I have been encouraged by friends to get back to it and I miss the therapeutic part of it.  So, I just might get back to it. If nothing else, I am going to share funny anecdotes about my kids just so I have it. Maybe I will hit publish but maybe I won't.

Fundraiser!!!

We did it! We did it! We raised lots of money for Evy's trip to camp in March. I am so pleased with how it all turned out but I couldn't have done it without my wonderful volunteers! Thanks for all your help, love and support!!!

The fundraising continues with an online auction at this site:
momasteryauction.blogspot.com
Now, if you want some info on the other family/child that will benefit from this auction, please take a look here:
http://momastery.blogspot.com/2010/11/holiday-monkee-love.html

Thanks for reading and please start bidding:)

Leaky Sink

This has been a very long two weeks.The Hunk has been working very long hours, staying overnight at work and so I am exhausted and over it.  Anyway, on Tuesday Bear spilled my cup of tea that I made hours before but never got around to drinking. When I went to get a towel to clean it up, I picked up my baskets from under the sink and discovered that they were soaking wet. This is when I discovered the leaky sink. Of course, this was after normal business hours so I couldn't call a plumber. So, I cleaned up the mess made by my tea, and then tried to figure out where the leaking was coming from. When I discovered it, I put a pitcher underneath the sink to catch the water. 
Yesterday was a very stressful day. My girls love preschool but it knocks them out and without naps, they spent the day crying about things that normally would not matter to them. So, I was a bit overwhelmed and not paying all that close attention to what I was doing because I had one or both of my girls crying while clinging to my leg  or laying on the floor crying. Throughout all this fun,  I emptied the container repeatedly  because it was filling up rapidly.  Fast forward to this morning when I pulled out the pitcher to empty  and realized that all day yesterday I was emptying the pitcher into the leaking sink.....

Amazing...

I learned something amazing recently. On cool days, my children love to play in the car and pretend it is a bus, rocket ship or Star Wars ship. This provides me time to relax, sip coffee and read a good book. Now the amazing part... if one of these imaginative little Jedi puts coins into the cd and tape players of your car while playing in it, they will no longer work. Not only will they no longer work, but when you go over bumps or at any random time, the clock will suddenly change to 12:00 and the radio will switch to AM.

Fall

I have missed my super soft, well-worn black sweats during the scorching months of summer but today I was able to pull them out of storage and slip them on. I may only be able to wear them for a few hours before the temperature goes back to the 80s but it will be a lovely few hours.They fit like a glove (though they may have fit less like a glove in the 5 years since I bought them...) and are perfect.  I want to wear these babies all day! Come on, cool temps! I have been waiting for you!

The Family Meeting

The Hunk and I made the decision that we want to start family meetings. We talked it over last night during our date night downtown. We discussed the format of the meeting and when we would do it. Hunk expressed that we needed a conch shell like in Lord of the Flies. I wasn't so sure and had a horrible flashback to pledging when our conch shell, during a heated meeting, was scissors...anyway, we gave it a whirl tonight without the conch:

Me: Are we going to do the Family thing?
Hunk: What?
Buddy: What family thing?
Hunk: Oh yeah a family meeting.
Buddy: I don't want to
Hunk: You can go to your room then
Me: I think the important part of the family meeting is that we are all together as a family (Hunk giving me the, "i don't know why I bother to speak to our children b/c you always think I am wrong" look)
I smiled sweetly and said, "So let's start."

We started our meeting with loads of praise for each child about things we had witnessed over the last week. Buddy's tune quickly changed about family meeting as he got a shy, yet proud, smile on his sweet little face.
Then we started talking about how well the girls did playing together and what a huge accomplishment it was for the Bear yesterday when she didn't cry at a bday party when the birthday girl wouldn't share a lollypop.
Zaz: Well, L gave me a lollypop but wouldn't give one to Bear. I didn't like my lollypop...
Hunk: During family meetings one person talks at a time (giving me the "I told ya so look" regarding the conch)
So we continued the praise and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
We pointed out that Bear had gone without a tantrum today and part of yesterday which is a huge accomplishment and that Zaz had played nicely with her sister all afternoon. Both of them, we pointed out, hadn't whined about anything for the entire day.
Zaz: I have a booboo right here (holding up her arm).
Hunk and I exchanged glances and smiled knowing that Zaz wasn't really sure about the purpose of this family meeting.  Okay really, she didn't get it....
Then we talked about problem areas:
1. Talking back (mainly Buddy but we talked about it at as a whole group)
2. Yelling  Screaming at siblings
During this discussion I said, "You guys need to stop yelling at each other and speak more kindly. Have you ever heard me yell at Daddy?" All three nodded yes and I realized I needed to quickly switch tactics. I explained that even people who love each other some times have arguments or disagreements but it was important to still be respectful (note to self stop raising voice at Hunk and vise versa). So, I said, "have you ever heard me scream at Daddy?" I held my breath for a minute for fear that I would see my little people shaking their heads yes at me. Thankfully, they were not. All three were saying no. Phew...
So we got the point across about no yelling and screaming about things and I did a few imitations of things I had heard recently. I was yelling and really getting into the part. Hunk suggested I close the window. I ignored him.
3. Toys on floor= chance to clean up= no pick-up equals toys in time out for one full day
4. Tantrums= alone time

Zaz interrupted throughout with stories about her life over the past 3 years and I realized we were starting to lose them. I knew I needed to act fast and get them engaged...

SO the teacher in me kicked in and I decided it was time for role play. I asked for a volunteer and Buddy quickly raised his hand. I had a flash of how eager he must be in his classroom. He got to be Hunk and I was the child. I asked for a popsicle, he said no and I started melting down and yelling, "I want a popsicle". I truly behaved as though I might lose my mind if I did not get a popsicle. Seriously, folks we are talking possible Academy Award nomination for best actress when Hunk ruined the moment and asked me to close the window. I ignored him, continued in my role as Bear and stormed upstairs bawling the entire time. I then came back down still crying and Buddy sent me back up until I could be calm.
We tried a few more scenarios and had them put their hand on their head if the child was behaving appropriately. They were full of  giggles as I played the role of dramatic child and they played the role of stern parent. All the while, Hunk looked totally confused at the direction our meeting had gone and reiterated the need to close the window and I quote, "You can be heard all the way in the cul-de-sac." SO????
We reviewed what we discussed, ate Oreos and ended the meeting on a positive note with everyone taking dinner dishes to the sink and heading upstairs for bath.

I think it was a successful first Family Meeting and really it went better than I imagined with a five year old and 2 three year olds!!

Our goal is to do it once a week BUT consistency is not our strong point...

In Honor of Grandparents' Day!

My heart has been filled with longing lately for my Grandma Bess. I have been missing her terribly for no recognizable reason; I guess I am just feeling that void brought by her death.  And what a void it is.  I know everyone thinks their grandparent is special, but my grandma was more than special. She had a gift as a grandmother to make each of us feel valued and loved. Until I was in my early twenties, I was certain I was her favorite grandchild.  I was at a family party when it hit me; I looked around and saw so much joy and love in the room and realized every single grandchild probably thought they were her favorite*. She was that good. She made us feel loved by listening with respect, love and without judgement, but with opinion (always an opinion).  If she had 2 or 3 of us that would seem an easy task but she didn't; she had 26. Yes, 26 and each of us had a very unique and wonderfully special relationship with her! She showed us how to love each other and somehow kept us all connected.

Each time I saw her or spoke to her, she would give me an update on all my cousins which was one of my favorite parts of our talks. I would sit and listen to her stories of funny things that one did or said, of who had a new girlfriend or boyfriend, who had finished a race in record time or had done something she considered remarkable. She would be filled with such love and pride at the mention of each name.  Being with her filled me with awe and wonder at every meeting.

It has been nearly 6 years since she passed away and while the ache for her day to day gets less and less, it seems to arise most frequently now when I am struggling through something as a parent or wife or when I am experiencing a joy with my children that I want to share with her.  There have been countless times when I have wished she was still just a phone call away: when my kids met milestones, when Buddy started kindergarten this week,  when my sweet Bear, who is named for her, lets out a snort when laughing or when being silly (as she used to), and when I could just use a pick me up.  I miss the example she would have been for me as a mother and someday as a grandmother. I miss how she ended every phone conversation with "I love you" then followed with "God Bless". For now I keep her alive through memories and by sharing stories about her with friends,  my kids and now you.

The first time I brought Hunk to meet her, after the formalities of the introduction, the conversation went something like  this:
Grandma: Do you have a grandpa that looks anything like you and is with it?
Hunk (totally caught of guard and laughing): I do!
Grandma: Oh good!


Happy Grandparents Day, All!!!

Andie

* Cousins and siblings, if you don't agree with me on this, maybe I really WAS her favorite:)

Houston, We've had COMMUNICATION!!!

I know it is only day 3 of kindergarten but I am sitting here dying for some sort of feedback from the teacher. I mean no news is good news, right? BUT the control freak in me must know how he is doing... but I promised myself I could wait....okay not really....
So, I sent an email to the principal and Mrs. W about a grant Target is doing for field trips.  I didn't really do it so I could open the lines of communication but thought maybe....so, I got a thank you back to which I replied to Mrs. W about how much Buddy likes kindergarten so far....DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

I got an email back that said:

Buddy is a GREAT kid!!!!

That's right! I am a happy and proud Mama!!

The Importance of the Teacher

Yesterday as I sent my son off to kindergarten, I had so many mixed emotions but the most profound was the value of teachers. I was a teacher for years before staying home with my children and I loved every moment of it. I  thought it was a pretty important job but never considered it from the point of view of the parent because I wasn't one. As Buddy boarded the school bus with his backpack, embarrassment from my kisses and  a nervous glint in his eye, I realized the true importance of  a teacher from the perspective of the parent.

I know the insides of being a teacher because I did it for so many years. On so many levels it is a thankless job because a room full of 5 year olds doesn't think to tell you, "Great Job, Mrs. M! You are doing an excellent job teaching me to control myself, how to cope with missing my mommy, how to order lunch, where to put my belongings, how to stand in line, how to listen when others are speaking, how to be kind to my classmates, how to share my toys, and of course teaching me to read, do math, respect others, how to sit at story time, how to read a clock, a calendar and a watch and oh great job covering those standards." Instead, the students challenge teachers, bring joy, frustration and exhaustion to them  And then the parents  challenge the teachers, bring joy, frustration and exhaustion. And still the teachers come back day after day and year after year for more (in case you are wondering it isn't for the money).


So, as I put Aidan on that bus, I realized that Mrs. W will be taking over all the things that I am normally responsible for on a given day with my boy. It is her job to teach him, to make him feel loved, to help him get along with others, to inspire him, to make sure he is fed, makes it to the bathroom, washes his hands and learns.

I would love to write a letter to her that says:

Dear Mrs. W:
I feel so thankful that you have taken this enormous responsibility this year. I know we have only met once, but I am putting all my faith in you as you take my boy under your wing and help shape him into the person he will become. Let's make a deal. I may have to bite my tongue but I swear I won't nitpick or make you feel like you are not doing a good job. I am only here to help if you need it and I will consider you the expert about my child's academic progress, I will send things in for parties, help him get his homework done and, of course, advocate for him when necessary. And all I ask is that you not nitpick or make him feel like he is not doing a good job, be there to help when he needs it and help shape him into the amazing person he has the potential to be. Also, give him a little extra loving because he might miss me a bit since he has never been away from me for this long.

Thank you for taking this on. You are doing the most important job out there. And Buddy, Hunk and I truly appreciate your willingness to do this thankless job. You are appreciated.

Sincerely,
Andie

The greatest gift you can give a teacher is be their partner through support and recognition of all that the job entails.

(After I discovered this poem, I sent it home the first day of school each year...)

I dreamed I saw a studio and watched two sculptors there. The clay they used was a child's mind and they fashioned it with care. One was a teacher- the tools she used were books, music, and art. The other, a parent, worked with a guiding hand, and a gentle, loving heart. Day after day, the teacher toiled with a touch that was careful, deft, and sure. While the parent labored by her side and polished and smoothed it o'er And when at last, their task was done, They were proud of what they had wrought for the things they molded into the child could neither be sold nor bought. And each agreed they would have failed if either had worked alone. For behind the parent stood the school and behind the teacher, the home. -Anonymous

Enjoy your school year:)

Mommy Doesn't (always) Negotiate with Terrorists

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. And while The White House claims to never negotiate with terrorists, not everyone is convinced this is truth.  The same is going on in this white house.

The terror used here is tantrums, whining and crying in order to coerce the victim (me, hunk or siblings) into something. While I do not face the likes of Osama bin Laden, I do face The Bear and, at times, I think bin Laden might be easier to deal with than my girl. Recently, I was accused of giving into terrorism in my home and I took great offense to this observation on many levels but that is for another post.
The reality is, we have a unique lifestyle that involves as much as 6 months of travel by The Hunk. So our lives can be very emotionally complicated. I deal with people missing their daddy, people angry at me for not making said daddy stay home and people confused over how they feel with their main man out of site. It isn't easy on anyone but we all do the best with what we have and make the most of it.  Sometimes, I give into terrorism. I do!  I admit it, but for the most part, I don't. Instead, I work on terrorism prevention but sometimes negotiations are inevitable if I want to sit down and enjoy my latest book or a glass of wine....

Terrorism Prevention

I attempt to prevent terrorism using strategies like my cotton ball system, ignoring the terrorist when they are making demands but some times negotiations, while frowned upon by my elders, is unavoidable.

Example of Unavoidable Negotiations:

Last night was one of those nights. Bear was exhausted as she often is due to a refusal to take naps and now sharing the room with her sister which has led to late night giggle and chat sessions. After the girls each "read" a book to me, I read one to them and put them in bed. Then I did it. I really did it. I sang Zaz's song to her first before I sang to Bear. I didn't know this was going to cause such a stir but boy did it. Bear lost it and I mean lost it. She screamed and cried because she wanted to be first but when the song is already sung what can one do? I can't sing Twinkle Twinkle backward to get the words back. Don't think I didn't consider it. So, instead I sang to Bear but she  didn't want to hear it. The drama got pretty bad with screams, cries, kicking the bed and so on.

Zaz started saying ,"I don't like the screaming." and plugging her ears. "Really?" I thought to myself, "I LOVE it!" And of course the screaming continued and finally I walked Zaz down to the playroom so she could be away from the screams that surely were not sounding anything like a lullaby. I told Zaz she could play until the Bear was done with her tantrum. Zaz had a joyful look in her eye because she knows her sister and knows her well and realized she may have just gotten herself an hour of playtime.

The Bear really lacks the skills to calm herself. I am not sure if that is because I have never given her the chance to learn them as my sweet husband implies, if it is just that she lacks the developmental skills to do so , if it is because she is a spirited child and has more passion than most or because she is simply a terrorist. I am going with the spirited child thing despite the fact that others  disagree (I am attending a parenting class next week about the spirited child).   Anyway, I went back to The Bear and rocked her, sang to her and held her only to have her scream even more and then  say that she wanted to go to the playroom, too.  In her little mind, it was one injustice after another* What to do?  Eventually, I calmed her with the promise that if she stopped screaming, she could walk with me to the playroom to get Zaz and bring her back to their room for bed. Remarkably, that worked.

Sadly, with Bear, I consider the above example a success.

It doesn't always work though. Some nights, like tonight, I am at a total loss. They are exhausted from a fun-filled day at the water park and are fighting and coming out of their room repeatedly with questions and demands when the only real answer is sleep. I can't help them get there. I sing to them, cuddle them, read to them, rock with them and so on but sometimes they just have to do it on their own and tonight is one of those nights.

I am signing up for a parenting seminar at a local children's museum to help guide handling my little terrorist. How do you handle tantrums especially when connected to exhaustion both by your child/children and yourself?
**Have I mentioned that this mama is off duty by 7:05 pm and so I needed to calm her and get her to bed.

Books...

I love reading more than any other activity except maybe drinking wine or martinis and talking about the books I have recently read. This year I have been struggling though with finding just the right book. My girlfriend Joyce recently stated it perfectly in her facebook status:

I hate finishing a good book. Not ready to crack open a new one and start over. Stuck in reflection and the loss of the anticipation of finding out what happens next.

I have been in and out of this state since I finished The Help in February. It moved me more than any other book in recent memory by making me reflect on relationships, myself, attitudes, civil rights and so much more that I couldn't bear to start a new book. What this book did for me is really unbelievable. In addition to raising my awareness of the history of our country and the complicated relationships between women in the south, it also totally changed my reading habits. Suddenly, I started reading books and if they didn't capture my attention immediately I gave up. I had never done this before. I always finished what I started.  I even started books that people told me were wonderful: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Three Cups of Tea, The Zookeepers Wife, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and The Places in Between but none of them grabbed me.  

Finally, I found the book Still Alice and it moved me beyond The Help by inspiring me to look back on my amazing Grandpa Steve who had Alzheimer's and passed away nearly 20 years ago. As most grandparents do, he had a special place in my heart. He was my pen pal when I was little, had an amazing collection of wind-up toys that only he could take out, he dressed up as Santa every year, and sadly, in the end, was very confused. Because of this, I loved the perspective of this book.  It truly opened my eyes to this horrible illness and left me feeling that, even through it all, my grandpa still felt love for all of us in the end. That book is still with me because I  found it so powerful and personal.  It is a must read for anyone who has or had a family member with Alzheimer's. 

Then I found The Hunger Games series and was hooked but not moved. It was fun and totally worth the read but after the powerful stories of Still Alice and The Help, these did not compare. Now I am finished with the Hunger Games and looking for the next novel to capture my attention. I know that every book I read doesn't have to move me as The Help and Still Alice have, but it is hard to really enjoy a book now that I have experienced these stories. 

Now what? Any suggestions? What books have moved you? Please share!!

My computer needs a new motherboard...won't be writing anytime soon.

The Minister's Wife

I am not sure how many of you have seen Borat, but my husband likened experiences we have been having with our girls over the last few years to this scene:


Borat: [indicates women beside him] In my country, they would go crazy for these two. 
[points to minister's wife] 
Borat: This one... not so much... 

It would seem The Bear is the minister's wife. Don't get me wrong, she is beautiful and an amazing little person but for some reason, The Zaz attracts all the attention. People stop us constantly to admire her haircut, hair color, adorableness, etc. even with her sister standing right there. I have countless examples of this since Zaz's white blonde hair grew in and she learned to giggle and bat her eyelashes at any willing passerby. 

While on vacation, an older gentleman stopped me and pointed to Zaz, who was shoulder to shoulder with Bear:

Nice Man: You are going to have trouble with that one in about 12 years.

Me: Smile

Nice Man: I have been there with the blonde hair blue eyed girl. Look out.

Me: Even worse, she is a twin so we will have two of them. 
Nice Clueless Man: Blah blah look out, She is going to be a looker chuckle chuckle. 
Me: Yes, and just think we will have two beautiful teenage girls.
Nice Man (finally snapping out of his oblivion): Oh, yes all of your children are adorable. 
Me: Smile


This theme is very common and I experience it regularly but my husband doesn't because he normally has one at a time for "special dates" or we are all out as a family.  Today he took both girls out for a breakfast date.  He had the pleasure of experiencing something like I do every time we head out. 
Person to Zaz: Oh look at you and your beautiful bow! OH and THAT Hair oh my
Hunk: Smile
Person: Oh my gosh isn't she cute?
Hunk referencing the Bear: Yes, and her sister has a cute headband on, too.
Person: Oh yes.
Done. 


I think some of this probably sinks in for The Bear and worry that  if this is a continuing trend, her self-esteem may be impacted in the long run. It probably doesn't help that Bear is socially more cautious and more challenging. She doesn't warm as easily to people and never has (right before 7 months, she started with separation issues. Our pediatrician jokingly said she was gifted b/c of it). People naturally favor Zaz b/c she is easier over all which is really difficult to watch as a parent.  Even when some people visit, their favoritism is evident (and heartbreaking).  


My husband and I joked about how we can respond to these situations. 
Our response to a couple admiring Zaz could be something like this:
Couple: Oh Honey, look at her and that hair! Isn't she the cutest thing you have ever seen?
Us: Thank you
Couple: She is so cute! Look out!
Us to the woman: You are gorgeous
Us to the man: Not so much 
And walk away. 


How would you handle it?

Touche

We went to a party yesterday at the home of a work friend of my husband. One of the guys commented on how great The Hunk's new tattoo looks. Thinking I was funny, I said, "Yes, if you like that sort of thing." To which he replied,"Yes I do" and pointed to his leg where he had the exact same tattoo. I then looked around and realized that I was surrounded by men with the exact same tattoo and should probably keep my wise cracks to myself.

Keyboard

I am taking my computer ˆn tomorrow. Let me just say t˙ˆs:

I cannot stand †˙at my computer ˆs not ∑orking properly. It makes ˆt very difficult †o do µy freelance writing ∆ob, no? Óelp!!

T˙is is w˙y I am not writing µuc˙!

A

Language Development

One of my favorite things to watch develop in my children is language. From the first goos and coos to the first words my heart soars with joy and love for the incredible little people in my life.  One of the joys of parenting twins has been watching my girls make their way through each stage of development in their own time. How differently these little people approach everything amazes me.

Bear accomplished all milestones before Zaz though both are on target developmentally. Now that they have acquired most of their language and sounds, Zaz is more ahead in the sense that Bear still can't say k and g sounds in words. So, I am working with Bear on tongue placement to create the sounds  . If she wants candy***, it comes out tandy and she sounds like Buckwheat when she says Okay.
This is what we have been doing:

Bear: I want to play a dame.
Me: You want to play a g-g-game?
Bear: g-g-g dame
Me: Try again
Bear: g-g-g dame
Me: dreat! You dot the g sound (I don't really say it like that)

Some times what she says is not as obvious. For example, tonight she asked to read the dumb book. I paused and was clearly confused. Before I could give a mini-lecture on not saying the word dumb:
Bear: gdumb
Me: gum?
Bear: Yes, ggggggdum
I racked my brain and realized she meant Alexander and The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day because (not to ruin it) Alexander gets gum in his hair.
We've been working on the sounds for a while now and she is trying so hard to get it right which gets her lots of kudos!

Tonight, I had a conversation with Zaz:

Zaz: You member the piggy glasses I weared on (va)cation?
Me: Piggy glasses?
Zaz: P-p-p-piggy glasses (see side picture)


Have a great night!
A
**** Not that I EVER give my kids candy

Speaking in Code

My computer lost t˙e ability to type certain letters. So I will not be posting until I get ˆt figured out. Until t˙en, ˙øpe you are ˙aving a ©ood weekend!

Organization Part 2

I just got a call from my friend, K, from Organization Part 1. She has no recollection of the conversation detailed in the post. I find this very convenient but that aside, we did have a good laugh over this particular move. You see, I was only moving to another apartment on the same street so we actually put my mattress on the roof of my car and one of us drove while the other one held onto the mattress. This is, of course, another perfect example of how I was too unorganized to have anything to hold down the mattress except, of course, my girl, K!

So back to things having a home.... I could not keep things organized when it was just me and my dog, Logan but add toys to the mix and it is not looking good. Toys in our house seem lost and always searching for a home. Because I recognize this as a huge problem, when we recently went on vacation, our wonderful sitter stayed with the dog and the house. Her assignment was to take toys out of circulation that the kids seldom play with. When we got home I went from room to room and was appalled. Super Sitter had not done what we asked which was strange because she is super reliable. The next day when I was returning my suitcase to the attic, I walked into the spare bedroom that leads into the attic. Before me was 5ft by 3 ft of toys that had been pulled from the rooms. First, I couldn't believe I ever doubted Super sitter (Forgive me, Em!) and second, I couldn't believe the reality that my children have so many toys that I did not even notice that these were gone.

Where did we go wrong? How in the world did we wind up with this many toys in the spare room and with loads STILL in the bedrooms and playroom? We seldom purchase toys for the kids and when we do, it is items we know they will love.  We have begged people to give money toward college funds and last year even tried to have people donate money to a cause we believe in  but only one family went along with it. Everyone else said, "How could we possibly show up at a two-year old bday without a gift?" Um very easily, folks, Haven't you seen all the JUNK we have???"

In our playroom we have two little closets that we can store things in. One of them is Buddy's workshop which is filled with tape, scissors, cardboard and other recyclables. The other one stored books so I recently made a book corner in the playroom and am  now working on highlighting a different toy or group of toys each week. So, this week  I created a hair salon and Buddy and the girls have had a blast with it.  I think next week I am going to make a Little People village or a workshop with all the tools we have.

This is one of my first steps at organizing the toys. So I would suggest following these steps:
1. Pull toys not played with
2. Highlight toys that the kids use but not that often to make them exciting
3. Accept that the plastic has taken over your home.

More organizational tips to come from the LEAST unorganized woman around.

A

Whiny Wednesday

I don't know if there is less whining going on but I do know that I have been called ma'am numerous times this week by Aidan, have not had to clear any plates from any meals and have not had any demands for cotton balls since the first few days. AND they filled up their little jars countless times and filled the entire jar up with cotton balls which led to a group reward! We had a late night (6-8 PM) swim at our pool last night which was loads of fun! I played shark with all the kids which made for a wonderful evening filled with giggles.

So, I need to explore some other options for dealing with the whining. The mean mama in me wants to take away cotton balls for whining but that doesn't seem fair. I guess I will just have to do some research and figure out another whine stopper.

 Hope you are having a good week!

Organization Part 1

I have a confession to make. My lack of organization has nothing to do with my having three kids. It really has to do with my brain. I swear the stinking thing does not believe in organization AT ALL. You see, organization is not my strong suit. Anyone who has ever lived with me or opened a closet, cupboard or drawer in my home can attest to this sad fact. I am going to spend a few posts making up excuses for this huge flaw of mine. I am lucky because I have been given suggestions through the years from loved ones: everything must have a home,  clean-up and put away as you go and have the kids help.

Everything must have a home:

I totally get this concept and strive to make it happen BUT since I don't pick up as I go, it is very difficult. Let's just say the house is a disaster (everyday but 2 days each month), I don't usually allow myself enough time to clean up on any given day whether we are having someone over, the cleaning people are coming or we are moving.  As a result,  I just start shoving things any place there is space that people (hopefully) won't see.  Let me give you a real life example of this. Once, in my single days, while moving, one of my dearest friends, K, was helping me move. I was shoving random things that I had not put "in their home" into my pockets. I looked up to see her with a disgusted look on her face. Seriously, disgusted because she is SUPER organized. You know the type. She LOVES lists.

Me (in my sweetest voice): What?

K: Are you freaking kidding me?

Me (in my most wounded voice): What?

K: You are just shoving sh$# in your pockets rather than putting it in a box or something?

Me: Not a good idea?

K did an eye roll, head shake and left the room. I continued shoving.

So the problem is obviously multi-level but the struggle is stopping the cycle. Where does all this random stuff go that is weighing me down both figuratively and literally? Once I shove things in my pockets, a basket, a closet or drawer to get it out of sight, it is just too overwhelming for me to look at let alone organize so I don't.  Then suddenly, every inch of my home is totally unorganized.

And so, I am now trying to get this under control once and for all.

A