The boss

On January 23, 2014January 23, 2014 By JillIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Yup, it’s true. 37 years old, and Mom still is the boss, well sort of, she doesn’t technically give me a paycheck but she does meet with me quarterly and give me performance reviews…”Yes, Jill, this quarter you need improvement in the housecleaning department- have you seen those cobwebs?”

JUST KIDDING- Don’t send the hate mail to her just yet!

We were talking on the phone this morning and I was mentioning to her that it does seem like we eat an awful lot of junk here, I make it seem like my children’s daily food pyramid is split between blueberry muffin, glazed donut, and chocolate frosted munchkins…mmm that does sound good doesn’t it… as I sit here and eat a greek yogurt…

Perhaps, I paint a picture of me and the girls sitting at the familiar orange and brown chairs almost every day. Gee, now that I think about it Arianna has recently been asking for everything orange lately. I thought she was just drawn to the cheery color but I think it’s Dunkin Donuts on her brain! It may appear that we are at the donut store all of the time! She agreed- Oh no! That’s all I needed to have me running to the computer to change the picture and the title! Grandma rules!

Upon reflecting on this I did sort of get a little carried away with the donut stories. It’s not like my goal is to create sugar crazed, attention deficit children who are fueled by grease and sprinkles…mmm, sprinkles- they have this new donut called birthday cake and it looked so….SNAP OUT OF IT! Focus – clearly I’m the one with the attention problem.

The thing is going to the donut store is actually a break for me…I get a coffee (another problem I need to work on).

And the kids have someplace warm to go, they are happy, I don’t have a mess to clean up, and they are contained to the confines of the store. Gia bought her first item there, she gave the man two dollars, and the clerk put the change she was owed in the big tip cup. Can you believe that? Taking advantage of children right in front of me…

You see, we have even learned about life at the donut shop. That morning was educational in two ways, counting and making sure you get what you deserve!

But I do think it’s time to give it a rest. Surely, I can come up with other outings for us…

Riiing, Riiing. “Hi Grandma- were heeeere!” Ahh, my Mom’s house where a kid can be a kid- oh wait – that’s Chuck E. Cheese

It’s more like Grandma’s house- where a mommy can stop being a mommy and get a hug and be 13 again. And maybe raid the fridge, steal some leftovers, and wham- dinner is served!

Goldilocks comes for a visit

Goldilocks Comes For a Visit

It is Wednesday and an idea did happen to “pop” into my head so I might as well just keep Wonderific Wednesdays. I mean if I quit all of my commitments what kind of lesson am I teaching my children. Granted they know nothing of this blog at this point, but one day they will.

That is unless someone, perhaps one of those super moms, you know the type- organic, homeschooling, making every craft possible on pinterest, takes me down in the Stop n Shop. I can just see it now, me, strolling down the aisle, donuts in the girls’ mouths, spotted by Susy Brown, author of Happy and Organic. She sees me and charges at me with venomous anger – How dare you let your kids eat chicken nuggets and watch Yo Gabba Gabba?

I have to interject here for a minute and tell you that I have come across one or two moms who said they won’t let their kids watch this show. What? Seriously! The show is certainly not teaching them reading and math but it isn’t immoral or inappropriate. It’s a little weird with strange looking monsters dancing around and I guess if you want to go there, it does seem as if the writers were on acid, but hey, what toddler is going to surmise this? Didn’t they say the same thing about Scooby Doo?

Ok so I made up the part about Susy and the book- I never even heard of a book with that title but I’m sure something like it exists. You get my point.

So, if I am still around when my children can read and understand this blog, I need to encourage them to keep most of their commitments- I tend to quit things pretty easily when the going gets tough. I could probably write a book about the plans I had so enthusiastically began and then quit…giving up sugar, wheat, complaining, more than one cup of coffee- promising to exercise, lift weights, do yoga, meditation, to stop worrying, to stop saying yes to everybody, stop over committing myself, to make everything from scratch, make all my own cleaners, and even, gasp, the thought of this makes me laugh, quit drinking wine!

Moving on – todays’s lesson is to try to keep your commitments but scale down if things are compromising your well-being. Like if I am thinking about watching Downton Abbey from the moment I wake up ( not even the most thrilling series I have binged on till two in the morning) till I put the kids in bed, I am clearly not happy, or functioning as a well adjusted parent.

Well adjusted, um, not exactly sure if that description is right for me. I actually don’t think I will ever be well adjusted…I’m kind of a mess at times but that’s just me- how about I go with content.

Therefore, I am holding my head up high, going the extra mile, keeping Wonderific Wednesdays and the rest is a crapshoot!

It does sound a little farfetched to say that these blog ideas are compromising my well-being but we as Moms need to know when to reprioritize our days and weeks or it might be a lot of yelling/losing temper at those precious angels of ours and forming frowny faces at our poor, innocent husbands…well, maybe not that innocent. I did have to spend like thirty extra minutes cleaning remnants of his cooking off the stove and counter tops, pick up dirty socks and other items off the carpet, and struggle with cleaning my sheets three times TODAY because someone left gum in their jean pockets! But hey, who’s complaining…

So for today’s wonderific idea, I decided to reenact a few scenes from Goldilocks.

Last night we read Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

This morning I thought it would be fun to make it look like Goldilocks was here in our house…

The girls came downstairs to three bowls of porridge (aka Mom’s special oatmeal) and there was something unusual about their breakfast… Notice the blond hair…you see the lengths I go for these girls! Now I have chunks of hair missing from my crown of glory.

Next we looked in the dining room and saw…

Then we hurried upstairs ( I had to do this surreptitiously while they were looking at their oatmeal and tried out chairs).

Surprise!

goldi — “Someone has been sleeping in my bed and she’s still here!”

The girls really got a kick out of this!

And I really didn’t cut my hair-for those of you that know me, you know my hair is “volume challenged.” I couldn’t afford to lose any!

I cut it from a poor, unsuspecting doll but I think she’ll get over it.

On January 23, 2014January 23, 2014 By JillIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Pop goes the mommy

On January 22, 2014January 22, 2014 By JillIn Uncategorized5 Comments

There is currently blue icing and white decorator’s pearls on my car’s leather seats. I am currently worn out. And I am currently rethinking my lofty ideas about this blog.

Today was Too Kind Tuesday and this by far is my favorite idea day. Today at Gia’s preschool it was wear blue day since they are working on the color blue this month. Blue, kind of appropriate for my mood.

We decided to make blue cupcakes for the preschool class.

I had to wake up extra early today so I could make icing, dye the icing blue, and slap some on the cupcakes Gia and I made for too kind Tuesday. I loved making these with her but I had to do this last night after we spent all day making a craft, and well, being a mom.

I feel like I sit down to write these posts and it simplifies my life, like it’s just one craft, fun idea, and outing after the next BUT there is so much chaos that goes on from morning till night and my little one does not go down easily. I took out books from the library a few days ago and they sit on my nightstand torturing me…

They are stacked up and I feel as if they are saying, “We are full of sexy men, fun stories, fabulous women, waiting to entertain you and give you a break BUT hahahaha- it’s too bad you never can get to us!”

Maybe I’ll pull an Arianna and just knock them off- take that books!

Back to the carseats. After a completely rushed morning and I am talking making oatmeal, icing cupcakes, getting two slowpokes ready and dressed and out the door, does oatmeal smeared on Gia’s too tight pants and tiny top count. Yes, Gia insisted on wearing this blue (for blue day) sweater that was a bit revealing, like I think if this wasn’t preschool, I might have gotten a call from the school!

Arianna had ketchup on her forehead, and yes, um, hide my shameful face, it was from last night- they didn’t take baths because we didn’t have hot water for a while because of a plumbing situation and I guess my lazy bones didn’t see it or was just so tired. I mean, we couldn’t get her to sleep till ten-thirty – thank you to my husband who mercifully laid down with her after I came downstairs proclaiming, “I don’t care, let her scream, and kick the door down, I’m done!”

P.S. I never saw him after that…he fell asleep in there and I feel asleep doing who knows, probably crying! Oh wait, I gave up crying for New Years!

So, I was already frazzled , had to drop Gia off, drive over to music class, sing and dance for 45 minutes with Moms and Tots , and I do mean dance. The instructor put on the music, was shaking her hips and just got her boogie on. Gia would have fit in well this morning with her belly baring outfit.

Got Gia, drove home, went to pick up the cupcake container and the lid wasn’t closed because I peeked on the way home to see how many were left. And you know the rest… blue icing everywhere.

Plus, the kitchen was messy, those darn laundry baskets were filled again, why does everybody throw their clothes in after one wearing? – I mean, I wear clothes for weeks until I wash them…hmm, no wonder none of the Moms sit next to me during story time !

Anyway, I just feel …like I am treading water here, and my girls desperately need me. They don’t really need a project and something cool and different to come up with – I mean, all I do is sit on the floor and they climb all over me, why hadn’t I seen this before? I mean I think I’ve said it but I sometimes can’t grasp it that they just want me, not the energizer bunny, drinking a thousand cups of coffee, always baking, and trying to come up with an exciting craft.

Did I just say “exciting craft?” Yea- exactly, that’s the problem here, I actually don’t find crafts exciting…

In fact, maybe I’m the one who’s exciting? Never mind the colored paper and glue – My Husband did tell me after a few dates that I was the craziest person he ever met…forget Michaels- girls, get your cutest outfits on – we are going o u t. Hello Chucky Cheese!

But in all seriousness, I am only committing myself to Too Kind Tuesdays and instead of Wonderific Wednesdays, how about just Pops (a page about ideas that pop in my head).

I just thought of something – Entenmann’s sells Pop’ ems, which are mini donuts- it’s meant to be.

Plus, the word pop suits me. I have ideas popping in my head from sunrise until sunset…Pop goes the Mommy…