the darkside of motherhood. . .

and by dark I mean 5:45 am on the east coast in january. . .


we've all been there - snuggled under the covers, sleeping soundly. . .when all of a sudden there's a small body crawling over yours or calling to you from down the hall. . .

once the panic that "something's wrong" clears - you are left with the decision to parent or roll over and go back to sleep.

I gotta say - today was a morning when I just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep.  I'm very lucky because 8 times out of 10, John will get up early with the kids.  Even though I'm currently a SAHM, he does his part without complaint.

our kids have never been the kind that come into our room in the middle of the night. . .but the 4 YO has recently started waking up EARLY and coming in.  And I must confess - I'm not a fan.

some mornings, I can snuggle him in and we snooze for just a bit more - and that is sheer mommy bliss. but other mornings - when he and I are both tired and cranky and he starts whining about everything. . .well. . .that's just torture.

and the 10 YO - he's on the fast-track to teenager so we'll see how that goes.

so how do you deal with mommying in the middle of the night?

catch you soon -

hey mom. . .

for those of you with preschool age children. . .this is probably a common refrain in your home. . .

"hey mom - may I have a snack?"

"hey mom - I have to go to the potty."

"hey mom - can you set up my geo trax?"

"hey mom . . ."
"hey mom . . ."
"hey mom . . . "

I wish I had the stamina to count how many times Owen says "hey mom" in a 24-hour period. . .sometimes John and I just start laughing because we've heard it so many times.

I remember when Ryan went through this phase. . .and then I didn't know it was a phase and would pass. . .now I know that all too soon - I will miss hearing "hey mom. . ."  but for now, I'm thinking of changing my name. . .

catch you soon -

mom trick - saving toys. . .

if you have more than one child (or plan to) - do you save toys?

you know - the "really" good ones. . .either that your 1st played with all the time or that cost a lot of money. . .I do.

i have always been a big Fisher Price fan - since I was a toddler and played with my Little People. . .my mother still has them.  It's been my experience that this is a brand you can trust and a quality toy. . .

in the spirit of saving - i have kept many of Ryan's toys - and on days when we need something to do - I trot them out. . .Saturday was one such day with the temps climbing past 100.

Owen has been enjoying the Geo Trax displays at Toys R Us and Target for a while - telling me he "needs" them. . .little did he know that he had a whole bin of them at home.

I wish i had gotten a picture of his face when I pulled them out - it was priceless - and worth all the storage space to hang on to them for the past 7 years.

Since it was the weekend and we live in a small house - I rearranged the dining room and set up the trains for the kids to play with - yes, the 9 YO sat down and played with his brother for most of the afternoon.  (yes - there was some bickering)

what sort of "mom-tricks" do you use to entertain your kids?

catch you soon -

note:  I did not receive any compensation for writing this post - the toys are all my very own, as are the opinions.

home alone. . .

what age do you think it is ok to leave your child (children) home alone?

i don't mean grabbing your spouse and flying off to Paris (does that sound like heaven on a stick to anyone besides me? ) - I mean dropping off a prescription or picking up milk. . . just a quick errand - an hour or less of "gone" time.

i have an almost 10 year old and an almost 4 year old. . .and these are the questions i'm pondering. 

for the first time, i left my almost 10 year-old in the car while I went into his little brother's school to drop him off.  I have never let him stay in the car by himself - ever.  he was surprised - but so happy to be old enough for this. I put the window down a bit and locked the doors - taking the keys with me.  He was parked in front of the building entrance - in plain view of the receptionist.

but still. . .

alone out there in the car. . .

what are your thoughts on this? how do you decide when is a good time for what?  I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

catch you soon -

becoming a mom. . .

i have had the wonderful, mind-blowing experience of becoming a mother twice. . .

the first time was more than 9 years ago. . .

i was nervous and excited. . .so many plans for him and our budding family of three. . .

six years later, another little boy to mother and love. . .

i had learned much in my first six years of mothering experience. . .now i got the chance to do it again - some of it differently than the first time around - definitely with more confidence and know-how.

i learned much of what i know about mothering and being a mother, from my own mother.  while she may not have always been perfect - i have very few memories of her not being perfect. . .few unpleasant memories in general - she made our home a happy and safe place to grow up. . .i call her almost everyday - sharing my own experiences and asking constantly for her advice and opinion.

that's what i'm hoping to do for my boys. . .to let them know every day how very much they are loved and cherished (even on the days they drive me completely crazy) my life was forever changed the moment they entered it.  i would never wish a life without them - never go back.

if you are a mom - i hope you had a wonderful mother's day.

catch you soon -