To Do Lists

Whew! It has been a while! This summer has flown by, and I am sorry I haven't been keeping up with this blogging thing as well as I had planned.

 I am hoping that now we are getting back into a routine, I will also be more diligent about keeping up with LaMomma too.

See, to get us back into our routine, I am also back in the habit of my list making.

Yes, I am a list girl. I like to make lists for just about EVERYTHING:

Grocery Shopping (of course),

Party Planning,

Packing,

Wish Lists,

Holiday Shopping (which has already been started),

and my all time favorite...

 the TO DO LIST.

I find that these lists keep me organized, motivated and confident -- confident that I have it all under control(Ha ha ha)!

So, I have started my lists.

My TO DO list started out with the typical "around the house stuff,"

Laundry

Wipe down kitchen

Clean kids bathroom...

etc.

 You know everything that we mommies try to get done during the day.

My list was coming together nicely. With every task added, my confidence was steadily increasing. Until...

I was snapped back to reality by my screaming kiddos.

Of course they were fighting...again about who knows what.

I realized, then, there were some things missing from my To Do List.

In fact it was missing some VERY important tasks.

So, here is my revised TO DO List:

Have Patience

Say lots of "I love yous"

Have Patience

Give lots of Hugs and Kisses

Have Patience

Have fun

Have Patience

Appreciate

Have Patience

Laundry

Have Patience

Wipe Down Kitchen

Have Patience

Clean Kids Bathroom

Have Patience

 BLOG

Have Patience

 Notice a theme? Obviously 2 and 6 year olds require a lot of PATIENCE.

Is it sad that I have to include these things on my TO DO List?

Maybe.

But, I have to say, that it has served me (and my kiddos) pretty well the last couple of days.

Sometimes, in the midst of trying to keep up, we forget to keep up with the life's most important tasks.

So...add them to your LIST, and hopefully you will be able to put a big CHECK MARK next to them at the end of each day.

Happy List Making!

Operation: Bye, Bye Binkie

One of my goals Little Miss H this summer was to

break the binkie habit.

E had given his up at a year and a half... pretty easily (as I remember it).

But I was coming to the conclusion, very quickly, that it wasn't going to be that easy with his

VERY STUBBORN, VERY STRONG-WILLED little sister.

We had been trying to limit Little H's time with her bink to just sleep,

but she was starting to manipulate more and more time.

(She has her ways)

It was time...time to take control of the situation.

But how?

I had heard the stories of cutting the tips, the fairies, the presents, the parties...

They all sounded great, and fairly non-torturous.

There was just something about it...

It was deciding when the time was right, and the anticipation until that time,

the anticipation of the day when we had to take away something our baby girl enjoyed...

and also still classified her as a "baby".

So, now you know the real truth.

I remember, very clearly, how I felt when E gave up his bink.

I was sad.

It was a huge milestone for all of us,

and I knew that feeling was coming again.
It made my heart sink just thinking about it.

Ugh!

So, here is how it all finally went down.

Our hard-headed little girl sometimes needs some encouragement to make good choices.

One night, when I was "encouraging" her to make the right choice,

I informed her that the wrong choice would result in losing her binkie for bedtime.

Apparently, that wasn't enough encouragement.

So, the decision was made...for both of us.

The time was NOW!

Little H went to bed that night without her binkie.

She asked for it once, and I told her she couldn't have it because she didn't make a good choice.

She seemed okay with that, and surprisingly, fell asleep...

and slept ALL night.

Just like when E went to sleep for the first time without his binkie, 

I knew there was no turning back.

The next couple of days were rough.

The very first thing she asked for the next morning?

Yep, her binkie.

In her mind, she had done her time. Punishment over.

Now the relief of an easy night turns to GUILT.
We managed to keep her occupied enough the rest of the morning to keep her from having a complete binkie-withdrawl meltdown.
But there was no distracting her at nap time.
This was the true test.
After an hour and half of screaming and crying (from both of us),
lots of comforting, snuggling, and begging
she finally fell asleep, and we have never looked back.

I am still carrying around lots of mommy guilt over how it all transpired.
I really wish a "punishment" hadn't been a factor in the whole story,
and I am still hoping that it doesn't result in therapy for my sweet little girl...
or myself.

Nonetheless, we have been binkie-free for TEN days!
Since then, she has asked for it a handful of times,
and for a couple of nights she took little longer to settle herself in bed, but we are done!
For the last couple of days, she has made NO mention, at all, of her beloved binkie.

Mission Complete!
(now onto Potty Training)

I Heart Faces Weekly Challenge - Let's Hear It For the Boys

Here is this week's entry into the I Heart Faces Weekly Photo Challenge.

 I love this picture of my E in daddy's baseball hat.

He was at his first major league game watching his favorite team

in their quest to get to and eventually win the

World Series!

Such a great memory for him...and for me!

Go check out I Heart Faces to see all of the wonderful entries this week!

What I learned in Kindergarten



  

First Day of Kindergarten





Last Day of Kindergarten

  

I learned...that it is hard to relinquish control.

I learned...that I worry too much.

I learned...that it is important to be involved.

I learned...that kids have a lot on their plates.

I learned...that all these years, I didn't miss homework.

I learned...that teachers have a REALLY hard job.

I learned...that our schools are WAY underfunded.

I learned...that attitude is EVERYTHING.

I learned...that I love the school my kids attend or will attend.

I learned...that a lot is expected of our children.

I learned...that I love to have my son read to me rather than me reading to him.

I learned...that E is very smart, confident, and independent.

I learned...My kid is AWESOME!
(okay, so I already knew that, but I was reminded of it a lot this year)

On to First Grade!

Best Face Photo from May / People's Choice Contest

This week's photo challenge from I Heart Faces is a People's Choice contest!

Here is my submission for the week.

I am having so much fun with my camera!

Hopefully, my little models will become more willing participants than they

have been lately.

Momma needs her practice!

Go check out the rest of the pics at I Heart Faces.

There are all so cute!

 

Hard Lessons to Learn

As much as E hates to be punished, I hate doing the punishing much, much more! Today was no exception. I won't go into the details, but both E and I learned some huge lessons today.

The first lesson E had to learn is a common one, but very important. The most important thing is that he took responsibility. He knew that it would mean trouble, and he could've denied the situation, but he didn't. He handled himself like such a little man (I say "little man" because I still refuse to think about him actually being a real man someday), and apologized for his mistake.

I was so proud of him! It was really hard to watch him struggle and admit that he had done something wrong, but what I learned is that by helping him taking responsibility, he ended up feeling pretty darn good about himself. The fact that I took the time to TELL him how proud I was of him for taking responsibility, and that I loved him no matter what was worth more than any punishment I could have handed down.

It is so hard to always know the right way to handle these situations. You want your kids to know that what they did was wrong, and to learn from their mistakes, but let's face it, we all make mistakes. Sometimes we make the same mistakes over and over again. Our kids will too. The most important thing is taking responsibility for these mistakes. In the end, that is the lesson I think I was actually able to teach E today!

The lesson I was reminded of is how important my words and actions can be to my son. He needed me to tell him that I love him and that I am proud of him. I am so thankful that I recognized that in the moment.

Lesson learned! Today was a good day!
LaMomma

Good Intentions

So, as I was laying in bed last night, I told myself that I was going to make a today a great day. No matter what the kids laid on me, I was going to keep my cool and stay positive. I was going make sure we did something fun so I wouldn't have to hear, "I'm bored!" I was going be patient with my strong-willed daughter and her ability to pretend I am not talking to her. This is the same conversation I have with myself almost every night, but in particular on the nights before Daddy goes back to work. For some reason, the kids sometimes have a tendency to turn into whiny, pouty, fit-throwing MONSTERS when Daddy heads off to work. It's just different. I can't explain it, but I'm pretty sure I am not the only Momma that experiences it So, I HAVE to prepare myself for the days I spend doing it alone. Some days it works. Today...it didn't.

My patience was first tested at 7:30 this morning when E woke up (yep, didn't take long). He immediately began whining about not being able to snuggle with me because Little Miss H was "taking up all the roooom" (are you imagining the whiny voice?). The fact that my little boy still wants to snuggle his mommy when he wakes up the morning is a very heartwarming thought, and normally I would think, "Awwww!" But when he starts whining about it before I've had my coffee, I think, "Awww $#@&!"

Little H did her fair share of testing as well. Just as we were ready to walk out the door to run some errands, I walked into her room to find that the ENTIRE middle drawer of her dresser had been emptied onto the floor. Since I am a little crazy about making sure the house is somewhat picked up before leaving, you can imagine my frustration at having to leave it all there until we came home. (Deep breaths)

The truth of it all is, the kids didn't really have a bad day. Mommy did. They were just being KIDS. It was just "one of THOSE days." One of those days when my bedtime pep-talk was forgotten somewhere along the way. One of those days when I just didn't have the patience I had hoped I would have. One of those days when all of my good intentions just didn't translate into reality.

It wasn't all bad... REALLY! Let's focus on the positives of the day!

After twenty minutes of asking Little H to pick up her toys, I decided to save my breath and sanity, and do it myself (one of those "pick your battles" moments). As she supervised my work, she told me, "Great job, Mommy!" A good sign that the positive reinforcement is working..., right?

E doesn't have anymore homework for the rest of year! Woo hoo! We won't tell him, yet, that he still has to read and write in his journal every week during the summer. In fact, maybe I'll just let Daddy tell him that part. : )

I am feeling much better now that I have spilled my guts and guilt onto this blog for all to see.

And last, but not least, we made it! The day almost over, and my kids are happy, healthy and safe in their beds.  Tomorrow is another day, and once again, I tell myself that I will make it a great one. We are going to laugh and play. We are going to listen to each other and "use our words". We are going to get along and enjoy each other. We will have patience to spare. Those are my good intentions.

Here's to a better tomorrow!
La Momma

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge / Yellow

Here is this week's entry into the I Heart Faces Photo Challenge of the week! Practice makes perfect, right?  I definitely heart this face. This week's challenge is "Yellow". Yellow, for me brings to mind sunshine. Both of my kids bring plenty of sunshine to my life. However, Little Miss H is the only one that will let me take a few photos. : )

If you need some inspiration for great photos, go check out the rest of the entries. They definitely inspire me!

Enjoy!
La Momma

Let's Catch Up

So, what has been going on in our world lately, you ask? In a nutshell, school and baseball. I feel like our life revolves around the two. I am trying to imagine how crazy things will be when Little H starts school and all of her extracurricular activities. She manages to keep us on our toes without any added activities.

E is having a great year in both school and baseball. He is reading and writing (What happened to the days when you learned your ABC's in Kindergarten?) He loves Library/Computer Lab Mondays and PE Tuesdays. As soon as we get to school he runs off to play with his friends, most of the time forgetting to give Momma a kiss (sniff! sniff!). He loves having his daddy coach his baseball team. More often that not, he has a ball and glove in hand, ready for a game of catch with anybody, at any time. It has been wonderful to see him succeed. While juggling it all can be difficult and exhausting at times, it's all worth it.

Little H is...well, she is TWO. She is smart and sassy. She loves to dance, and would wear her ballet dress and shoes everyday if I let her.  I can't wait to start her in dance lessons in the fall (when E is school full time). Lately, she has been obsessed with shoes, and lipstick, She has NO interest in going "potty" on the "big girl potty." She LOVES to go to E's baseball games to cheer him on and play at the park. Okay, I think it's more about the park, but she always throws in a "Go, E, go!" for good measure. She makes me laugh and want to tear my hair out every day.

(notice the ballet dress in both?)

School and baseball will be winding down soon. We will be very busy with end of the year parties and activities for both. Hopefully sooner, rather than later, Little H will grow out of the "terrible twos" and into the "fantastic two-and-halfs" (hey, a momma can dream).  Then we'll get to enjoy a nice relaxing summer (yeah right!) before we start 1st Grade, soccer, dance, and whatever else the kiddos want to do! And the cycle continues... The cycle of craziness, pride, exhaustion, joy, hard work, cheers, battles, smiles, hugs, hits and misses, love, and fun.

That's it... in a nutshell!

Day One

Well, here I am! I am not quite sure what direction I will be going with this blog. Since I am a full time mommy and wife, I would imagine that the majority of my posts will be about my two BEAUTIFUL (and sometimes challenging) children, and their AMAZING (also challenging at times) daddy!

I love being a mommy and a wife , but I have lots other obsessions too. I love photography. No matter what I am doing or where I am, a camera is never far away. I am developing a love for cooking, baking, crafting, running and fitness. Those are all still works in progress, but they have become a big part of my life as of late. And my newest obsession has been BLOGS! I spend a lot of free time stalking blogs devoted to the many subjects I mentioned above. It's been very refreshing to find so many mommies with the same interests and challenges as me. Their creativity, ideas and experiences have inspired me.

That is why I started my own blog. As I said, I don't know exactly what direction it will take, but I hope, for me, it will be a way to journal my own experiences and ideas. Maybe, someday, someone else will be inspired by something I post. For now, I am just happy to have place to put all my crazy kid stories and fun ideas I get in my head (and then forget about).

Happy Blogging!
La Momma

I Heart Faces / May Flower Photo Challenge - Entry #2

Entry #2 for the I Heart Faces / May Flower Photo Challenge! Go check out all of the amazing flower photos. They are very inspiring! This is very exciting for me! I just got a brand new fancy DSLR Camera for Birthday and Mother's Day. These are the kind of pictures I was hoping to take someday! I can't wait to improve my skills and shoot, shoot, shoot!!!!

I Heart Faces / May Flowers Photo Challenge

I just entered this photo in the I Heart Faces / May Flower Photo Challenge!!! This is my first entry, so I hope I am doing it correctly! Hope to be entering many more photos in the future!