Month: May 2018

Miss Independent

On By JillIn Funny kids, Mommy Musings, UncategorizedLeave a comment

“Oh geez,” I would think to myself when I saw yet another cute baby or toddler pictured with the hashtag #stopgrowing or #imissthemsolittle. I used to read these posts, shake my head, and think to myself, “Are you kidding me?” I can’t wait for her to grow up… whether it was Gia, Arianna, and now mostly Lexi.
Diapers, crying, spills, sticky fingers, and that constant trapped feeling… Ugh! Life with babies… I spent and sometimes still spend a lot of time wishing they would just grow up!

But recently my tune has changed. The saying “Be careful what you wish for,” definitely pertains to me these days.
potty
YES! THIS IS LEXI WASHING HER POTTY…With the bathroom hand towel! I promise, I washed it!
She is most certainly in her miss Independent Stage and it’s driving me crazy! She wants to do everything by herself and I mean everything!
climber

This girl is holding me up! I like to keep things moving at a nice, steady pace…click the safety belts on the car seat myself, cook and bake uninterrupted when I am pressed for time, and hang out in the kitchen without worrying that someone is going to climb the counters trying to get her own bowl or cup.
I really shouldn’t complain but… it’s just a wee bit frustrating!
Looks like my next instagram post is going to be #staylittleandjustletmemomon!

CHECK OUT THE CORRESPONDING VIDEO!
and PLEASE SUBSCRIBE (hit the red button) to our YouTube channel!
VIDEO OF CUTE LEXI

Yikes! I’m a Yeller

On By JillIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I told myself I wasn’t going to yell…just for today. That’s all I had planned. Stay calm.
Count to ten, take a deep breath, do a quick downward dog… but it didn’t happen for me.
GettyImages-164453574-300x308

I just get so annoyed… way too easily these days. Maybe it’s the amount of activities we have, the plans I make, the unrealistic expectations I have with my children, with me, with the goals of the day.

I have simple desires. Very simple. Just do what I say! When I say! It’s really not too much to ask… I’m not asking these girls to mop the floor or even clean their rooms! My requests are fairly simple like “Brush your hair.”

It’s hard to control three kids, each with different personalities, with their own set of interests and agenda.
Gia wants to be the boss.
IMG_8058
Arianna wants to be silly.
arianna
Lexi just wants what she wants at that split second and screams and cries.
IMG_8094

So… when things aren’t going according to plan, I get frustrated and raise my voice.

And then come the consequences…I hate the way I feel… guilty, out of control, and chaotic.
It just doesn’t feel like a happy, organized day.
I feel stressed, defeated, and out of control.

It’s like a tug of war between the girls and me… with me falling down … a lot!

The thing is, I don’t want to be a yeller.

I don’t want the girls to have memories of mom being angry all of the time…

I need to be the pillar of strength and comfort and compassion. I’m pretty sure children of angry parents have way more anxiety and insecurities.

I am on a mission to deflate the balloon of frustration… I am saying goodbye to the stress!

The girls and I made our first video on our revised YouTube channel. They are no longer the Baking Brats because they didn’t want to just do baking. Now they are The Girly Reports…and I will be changing my blog name soon so I can be separate from them…I don’t want any of their little friends stumbling upon this blog while searching for The Girly Reports!

Anyhoo, the video (link below) is a silly skit about stress reduction tips… it’s super ridiculous and goofy. After watching it, I cringed at my plain Jane face, my voice, and my general annoying chatter… but we uploaded it anyway- making public the annoying mom. My husband graciously called it “interesting…”

I was thinking about people viewing it and how embarrassing it was going to be… I felt a little uncomfortable at first…and then I thought, you know what…I don’t care and I think this is a key first step in deflating the stress.

Uploading the D grade video, thinking about viewers shaking their heads, maybe thinking negative thoughts… and then sitting with those feelings and being ok with it, made me kind of empowered… less focused on what others think. And as a trickle down effect, less stressed…

Hopefully, as I discover different ways to feel less on edge, my kids will enjoy a calmer, cool as a cucumber momma!

Key #1 Be messy and embrace imperfection.

Let your kids be imperfect as well…and be ok with it. Don’t get this confused with letting your kids be unkempt and dirty …I’m not into the rats nest hair style or long fingernails with dirt underneath… man those nails grow fast!
Just less focus on perfection.
I actually have been wearing the same pair of leggings for a week straight! And it feels …well, like exactly what I said – messy/imperfect! And I haven’t had my nails done either in weeks…Woo hoo!
I am nailing this down!

Look out for my next post on key number two for deflating the stress balloon.

CHECK OUT THEIR VIDEO and please subscribe! We will have more annoying videos coming soon! We need 100 subscribers to get a URL address so we can have a link to share. Would love it if you could help.
THE GIRLY REPORTS VIDEO ONE

Five Reasons I Will Miss Winter

On By JillIn I need a glass of wine, Mommy Confessions, Uncategorized, What's Going On?2 Comments

We are always running late! Maybe if I take a video of all of us in the morning, send it to the principal, she’ll see the struggle, take pity on me, and consider erasing those tardies from the report card?

Between the knots in the girls’ hair( what the hell happens between bedtime and morning? It’s like squirrels have a party in their hair! ) the crying fits of the little one, and the high maintenance demands at breakfast ( can I have one glass of juice diluted with water, one plain glass of water, pancakes with syrup on the side, syrup on top, and one with no syrup at all, just fresh fruit …I mean I hate to complain about that one, but come on… I’m just trying to get all three out of the house… and on time to school.

mom

God forbid I let my daughter walk to school in this day and age.. never know who is lurking in a shadowy corner ready to snatch her up in a suspicious looking white van ! Oh wait, we had that same story circulating in town back when I was a kid… and I did walk to school, and it was a long walk! Hmmm….maybe I’ll reconsider?

In any case, this morning was no exception, the typical flurry of missing shoes and lost blankets ( so imperative for that long 1 minute trip to school!) and I realized we were going to be late again if we didn’t leave at that very second … then I saw what I was wearing … my pajamas, gross shirt, no bra… and my hair, well that always looks terrible in the morning…How many busy moms out there run into a friend outside the Mom life routine and they’re like “Wow, you look amazing? What have you done with yourself?

And your like racking your brain for what you could have possibly done differently… oh right…

“Um, I took a shower….”

Oh the life of a busy mommy…

As I was sprinting out the door, screaming toddler in my arms, I realized that I was actually going to miss the cold, comforting routine of winter.

“Are you crazy?” I can hear the disbelief in your thoughts as well as mine…but let me tell you why…here are my five reasons I will miss winter.

 

1 Big Puffy Jacket –  Oh what hides beneath the dark, forgiving, comfy winter coat. Need I say more?

Woman all dressed in fur.

2 Tall Winter Boots- It’s such a simple look to pull off in the winter… leggings or joggers and boots…no sock issues – they can be high, short, mismatched, or no socks at all.

No need to worry about that patch of stubble on your ankle that you missed.

No need to be concerned about being fashionable! Who is thinking about that when you are freezing!

3 No fighting with kids about what to wear?

“Can I wear shorts?” They beg when the weather is questionable.

“I don’t need a jacket!” Yes you do. I don’t feel like getting another email from a teacher about this issue.

“I was so hot today at school mom! Or I was so cold today at school.” “You never tell me the right thing to wear!”

“Sigh…” mom hangs her head in shame beating herself up for her outfit choice mistakes…JUST KIDDING… I’m nothing like that- I’m more of a “Quit your complaining and move on kid” kind of a mom. But it is annoying having to hear it.

The changing of the season just adds an element of uncertainty and extra steps that I don’t have time for!

4 Red wine and baking

There is nothing more comforting than sipping a full bodied red, warm cinnamon and chocolate wafting through the air ( whatever it is I’m baking at the time) and not caring about the calories… Bathing suit and bothersome body worries buried far below the cozy forgiving sweaters….

All-I-Want-To-Do-Is-Bake-And-Drink-Wine-Large-Sample-1

5 Control of my kids

When it’s cold out, everyone is happy to stay inside, all together, and I know where everyone is…the kids rush to the warmth of the car after school or their activities,  content to mostly be home. I can get things done, keep my house relatively clean, and have a little down time… but when the sun is out, they are ladies of the land… always wanting to be outside, play after school, running out the door, leaving a wailing Lexi behind, doors open, bugs flying in, coming in/coming out – leaving a trail of dirt and mud wherever they go. They want to ride bikes, scooters, go to the park… which is great ! Truly … it’s just I have to take them and it’s just more stuff to do. I know, I know – kids need to get out and get off their IPads ! You’re like stop whining and just take your damn kids to the park! I get it.

I’m just being honest here.

So there it is… I will miss you winter. Time to diet, get out the bug spray, work on my outside screaming voice, shave, and start wearing a bra to pickup!

Continue reading “Five Reasons I Will Miss Winter” →