Moving With a Toddler and a Baby

Moving is overwhelming in of itself, but add a busy toddler and a newborn to the mix and it's darn near impossible. So here are some things that we did that made moving a lot easier with the two littles.
1. Babywearing: If you have not discovered the wonder that is babywearing, I encourage you to look into it.
2. Paper Plates: Seriously, you have enough to worry about, between the Toddler and the Baby on top of packing up everything you own. Dishes is one less thing you have to worry about.
3. Crock Pot/ Slow Cookers: Another thing that makes the tedious task of packing easier. Just throw dinner in the crock pot in the morning and spend the day packing without having to worry about starting dinner or eating out.
4. Pack up the toddler's room without him there. Send him over to a friend's house or grandma's house while you are packing up his room. I tried packing up my 22 month old's books, and you would have thought all hell broke loose. Major Meltdown.
5. Make sure the toddler's room is the last to be packed up: This allows them to have their room as long as possible.
6. Unload the Toddler's things first: By unpacking their room, it makes the move less scary and doesn't disrupt their routine too much, and they feel safe in the new house.
7. Get a sitter for Moving Day: Not only will this avoid the toddler getting under foot or run over, but they don't even notice that their stuff got boxed up, because you've unpacked all of their stuff before you go pick them up.
8. Allow the toddler to explore the new house: It's a new place and to a little one, new places can be scary.
9. Outlet Covers before you move in: I installed ours when we were at the new house cleaning. We also were there waiting for the gas company to turn on everything.

Hopefully these tips will make moving easier for you. Happy Packing!

Hydrogen Peroxide: Miracle Stain Fighter

 

This is my adorable little boy. He is 19 months old.

I am a girly girl, my friends were girls growing up, and I never really was close to any boys my age. When my husband and I found out we were expecting a little boy two years ago, we were overjoyed. Because I know nothing about the male population, raising a little boy has definitely been a learning curve for me. I had heard rumors about stinky boy feet and how gross they are, but I was sure it would be years before we needed to tackle the problem. I mean really how gross can a toddler get? 

If only I had known.....

Because of the warm weather, we bought our little boy sandals. For a while, they were the only shoes he would keep on his feet. After a week this is what they looked like. A.Week.

   

 I put baking soda in them to combat the smell, but they still looked lnasty. How could his shoes get this nasty? We bathe him daily, I vacuum the carpets every other day and I sweep and mop the other floors weekly. However, I have found a solution! (via Pinterest)
Find an empty spray bottle and add 1 T of Dawn (I just used the generic grapefruit scented dish soap we already had) and Hydrogen Peroxide. Spray the shoe and scrub with a brush I had a used an old toothbrush because of the small shoe.

Before: Nasty stinky shoe

After: Looks brand new!

 Where has this trick been all my life? You can use this spray on clothing, furniture, upholstery... I think I might be obsessed.

Relationship Goals: Unrealistic Expectations

I saw this in my news feed on Facebook. I was posted by a girl I grew up with, who is unmarried and not in a relationship. It honestly made me outraged that this is a goal she has for a relationship? I see similar picture with the caption, "Relationship Goals".
These should not be your goals for a relationship if you want a lasting one. Flowers and lavish gifts are nice, and of course always appreciated, but there are more important things in a relationship. Why are lavish gifts, cutesie pictures, and perfect dates your relationship goals? I have only been married 2 years as of March, but I have been through my share or relationships, and none of them ended well. All of these "relationship goals" seem one sided to me. Like the girl is treated like a queen, getting everything she wants, while he is not getting anything in return.
In a relationship, both people need to be equal. I am not saying you have to be broke for your relationship to work, but things like mutual respect, shared values, shared interests etc. are more important.
My husband still surprises me with flowers on his way home from work occasionally, just because he wanted to. Even though we have boys, toddler and another one due to make his appearance next month. He no longer has to try to win me over, but he still surprises me. Our marriage works, because our marriage isn't one sided. He'll wake up with the toddler on Saturday morning and let me sleep in. I make Apple Brown Sugar Pork Chops for dinner one weeknight  even though it takes more work to cook, just because I know it's his favorite meal. Him listening to me vent and giving me a hug after a frustrating day no mater how menial the problem sounds, it means more than a trunk full of expensive gifts. 
People seem to just expect to receive in a relationship, but what are YOU doing? The only way to build a lasting relationship is to stop focusing on what they are doing or not doing for you and start treating them the way you would like to be treated. Everyone likes to feel loved, respected, and appreciated. If  your Significant Other is not "measuring up" to your standards, try evaluating yourself. Are you showing them appreciate them? How often do you say positive or encouraging words to them?  Try being the person you want your Significant Other to be. Try doing the dishes for her one night so she doesn't have to. Make him his favorite breakfast before he goes to work, just because.

To the Military Spouses and Spouses of Civil Servants

 

This past Saturday, we celebrated Independence Day as a Nation. Everywhere you went, was covered in Red, White, and Blue, bands playing patriotic music, barbeques and beer and the fireworks.

My husband and I took our toddler to the zoo to watch the firework show. Like many other places, the city Orchestra played music until dusk. During their concert, they played the U.S. Military Medley. They had service men and women stand when they herd their branch's song. On Sunday at church, they had a special July 4th program (even though it was the 5th). They played the same song and like at the zoo, all former and current service men and women were asked to stand when they heard their branch's song. This recognition was also extended to civil servants as well.

With all of the celebration and Military recognition they forgot to recognize one group of people. I am fairly certain that this group of people was not recognized at all on the 4th, nor are they celebrated any other 4th of July ever. The husbands and wives of those in uniform.
I am not taking away from the huge sacrifice that the men and women in uniform make or have made by serving our country, but why doesn't anyone think about their spouses? While families across the nation are having barbeques and lighting off and watching fireworks, drinking an ice cold beer (sometimes one too many) in celebration of our nation's freedom, their wives are alone.
Their wives get up and try to make holidays special for their children alone. The family photo is missing a face. They raise children like a single parent even though they are married. The big moments happen without their spouse next to them. Every waking moment they worry for the safety of the love of their life from behind a smile. They witness milestones in their child's life wishing daddy could be there too. Every night the crawl into an empty bed, arm too far away to be held by.
The Military Spouses make just as big of a sacrifice. They never get recognition. So to you who have a spouse serving or have served, THANK YOU! Thank you for giving up the love of your life and putting your family second, so that my family can sleep safe and free in our beds.

What Will Your Kids Remember you For? Family Fun Days

 

This Past Saturday, my husband and I look our 19 month old son to the pool. It made me think about how important it is for families to spend quality time with each other. With as busy as our daily lives get with work, school, and after-school activities it's easy to forget to spend time together. Gone are the days of free time and family meals at the dinner table. We have traded it in for trips through the fast food drive-through on the way to soccer practice and dance lessons. We have scheduled our lives down to the last second. While I do think its fun for kids to be apart of after-school activities, it is more important to set aside family time because our children are being raised by their schools and the media. 

Family outings don't have to cost a ton of money, for example our trip to the pool cost us a total of $2. That's it. Our son had an absolute BLAST splashing and playing in the water with his daddy. $2 for a happy childhood memory. Seeing the joy on my little boy's face was absolutely priceless. 

In all honesty, kids don't care about money. They really don't. They just want YOU.  More family time brings families closer together. It builds relationships so that your children are comfortable asking you the tough questions. They don't feel like mom and dad are too busy to care or too uncomfortable to ask. 

Lets make a change, one day a week, lets shut off the T.V. put down our phones and be with our families. Weather it's a trip to the local zoo, a swim at the pool, or grilling burgers in the back yard while the kids play. Get on the floor and play with the Legos with them, join the tea party, or sword match. It won't cost you much if anything, and they will treasure those moments for the rest of their lives. When you are gone, what do you want them to remember most about you?

This Father's Day, Stop the Dad Bashing

 

 Mom bashing is a widely known issue. Mothers are always bashing and judging each others parenting choices. It's a huge problem that needs to stop is the dad bashing. It's everywhere, T.V. shows, movies, baby shirts all suggesting that Daddy is incompetent at caring for his children. 

I've seen this baby onesie  everywhere.

 

Why is it that society thinks dads are so incompetent?  Many wives wonder why their husbands do not want to be left alone with their children. Has anyone considered that perhaps dads don't want to be left alone with their children, because their wives as well as society make them believe that they are incompetent? All of the dad bashing is supposed to be funny, but I don't think it is funny at all. 

Sure men do things different than women. But just because he takes care of your child differently than you would does not make his way inferior. 

So in honor of Father's Day, Lets build dad's up and start showing them how awesome they really are.

My House Is a Mess and I Am Not Ashamed!

 

This is usually how my house looks. Dirty dishes on the counter, my toddler's room is littered with toys and clean laundry. We almost always have a basket of clean laundry folded but waiting to be put away. I make sandwiches for lunch (or leftovers) and dinner is rarely cooked by 6:30. As a Stay-at-Home-Mom, I often feel like I am failing. My house should be cleaner, I should be cooking things for lunch, we should eat less take-out. Other moms seem to have it together, a spotless home, hot lunches, and they are always dressed and have brushed their hair and applied make-up.

Let's be real though, Staying Home is hard. Society has this idea that Stay-at-Home-Moms should be able to keep a spotless house and cook gourmet meals without a problem. That Staying home is some how the "lazy way". That it's not a real job. 

My day is spent chasing my busy toddler, cleaning the house, doing laundry, trying to get my homework done for the online college I am attending and trying to remember to take meat out of the freezer for dinner. All of these things would not take that long, however, this doesn't take into account for tantrums, and the fact that children are tornadoes. Seriously.

I put the toddler's laundry in his dresser and as I put them in there, he pulls them out onto the floor. I pick his toys out, he dumps them out again and scatters them all over the house. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich he had for lunch has been smeared all over every surface he can reach, and the full tissue box that I had hidden is now empty, and the tissues are everywhere in little tiny pieces. And that's a good day. Being a mom is wonderful and frustrating. I love staying home and hate it all at the same time. By the time hubby has gotten home, I have cleaned the house 3 times, and you can't even tell, because it looks just as bad or worse than when he left that morning. 

I have gotten to the point that a few dishes on the counter really won't kill anyone. I take more moments to forget the mess, and join my son on the floor to play with cars. Or pass the ball back and forth, or read his tractor book for the 50th time in a row. The house will always need to be cleaned. Laundry will always need to be done. But your kids will only be this age once. You are holding them for the first time, and then you blink and they are walking and talking. They don't care if you are in yoga pants and rocking the messy pony-tail. They don't care if the house is spotless. They just want to hang out with their mama. When they are grown, they will remember the time they spent with you.

So say it with me: MY HOUSE IS A MESS AND I AM NOT ASHAMED!

Mommy Friends

 

I am a Stay-at-Home mom. My husband and I started our marriage off in a new town. Away from family, friends and all familiarity. I do not regret it at all. However, being in a new town means starting over. As a stay at home mom, it gets lonely. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE staying home with my kids and being able to see their milestones, teaching them about the world. But honestly some adult interaction would be nice. My conversations until my husband gets home are with our toddler. Cute and sometimes hilarious, but I need more. I got to the point last week, that I actually picked my husband's nose without even really noticing I was doing it.
I mean, why is it so difficult to make friends? I have never been shy at all. Making friends was never a problem when I was in school, but now? We moved here 2 1/2 years ago and really only a few acquaintances. Not being able to drive and living 30 minutes from town, really doesn't help matters either. However, we will be buying a house in town, which perhaps will help.

Why isn't Mommy in More Pictures?

This was my 1 1/2 year old son on the day he was born. So tiny and fragile. Perfect. He is my first born, and mine and my husband's life had turned upside down in the best way possible. The first week was the hardest. Night feedings, diaper changes, and surviving on 2 hours of sleep was a huge change. I think the first three months of his life, I had more coffee in my body than blood. I read all the parenting books, done research and planned for parenthood. However, nothing prepared me for my new body.
After giving birth, I had "a few" extra pounds as well as stretch marks. I like many women have struggled with a healthy view of my body since I was a teenager. The extra "mommy flab" I developed really threw me. As a result, I can count on one hand the number of photographs I am in during the first year of my son's life. I can't ever get those moments back. I always used the excuse, "I'm behind the camera, not in front." But the reality is, I never wanted pictures of me.
The reality is, our kids don't care what the scale says, our husbands don't care what the scale says. No. Only we care. When they look at family photos, they don't care what size you were, they just see their mama.
I am challenging you to step out from behind the camera more. Be in the moment with your kids, because you will never be able to re create the moment. You are beautiful, not because of your dress size or what number the scale says. You are beautiful because you are unique, you are special, you are their mama. 

Temper-Tantrums and Others Undermining Your Authority

                  

A huge issue a lot of moms have including myself have is having to defend our parenting choices as well as being validated by others, or lack there of. 

Last Saturday, my husband and I were at the grocery store (a weekly occurrence) with our toddler. The toddler was making the trip... memorable...... That adorable boy who just hours ago was hugging me and sharing his cookie with me was now a bratty tornado. When we would add things to the cart, our son would throw it on the floor. We would slap his hand, and say "no no!". This went on the entire trip, and the reprimanding didn't help. The siren-like wails of his temper-tantrums had us three shades of red, and all but running isle to isle, praying we weren't forgetting anything. I am currently 6 months pregnant with our second child, so really I was not in the mood for the behavior. My feet were swollen, I was hot, and a bit worn out. We got to the check-out, and our son decided to take that moment to climb up on the belt. I again slapped his hand told him, "no no!" and sat him back in the cart. The man bagging our groceries looked at me and said, "He's ok mom".  I have two major issues with this.

1. No bagger, it is NOT ok for my son to act-up in the grocery store or anywhere, period.

2. It is never ok to contradict a parent in front of the child. EVER.

Issues like this happen all the time. And the undermining comments are not always made by strangers. Just because I do not agree with the parenting choices of a fellow mom or dad does not mean I have the right to make a comment about it unless the child's well-being is being endangered. As parents we all have the same end-goal. To raise a happy, healthy productive member of society that respects his or her spouse and those around them. After all, they don't give you an instruction manual when they hand you your brand-new baby.