Seeing if I can win a Bed...

5 Minutes for Mom has a contest to win a new bed set when you enter a picture of your child sleeping...this is my favorite of Little Dude sleeping next to Bill on the floor. I think it was from this past May and they just wore each other out playing! My awesome guys!

And so, keep your fingers crossed we win the Summer Breeze Set, cause that would be so awesome....

4 Months

I can't believe it has been 4 months already-where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday he came into our lives! What is even more unbelievable? He is sleeping through the night now!! Hallelujah! Though I am sad he is getting so big so quickly, I am ever so happy to get sleep again.

Happy 4 Month Birthday, JR!!!

My Perfect Dress at Shabby Apple

As a new mom, I hate shopping for clothes. Nothing fits, and it is hard finding clothes in those first few post partum months that make my body look fabulous, instead of "good for having just had a baby". It can be a bit alarming when you try on size after size, realize how much your body changed during your pregnancy, and how some of that just is never going to go back to "before". Thus, my newly founded hatred of the mall.

Never fear though, I have found a perfect solution to dreaded clothes shopping for moms everywhere!! Not only do I get to avoid trying to juggle two kids, all their STUFF, a double stroller (though awesome for keeping the kids from running off, you can't avoid the size), and stacks of clothes in every size possible hoping, er praying, that one item might fit, I get to help fight global poverty with my purchase! Now that is a shopping experience!

What is this wondrous place I speak of? The Shabby Apple. And trust me, their clothes and amazing accessories are anything but shabby!

Learn more about the Shabby Apple line of chic everyday, every night and every occasion dresses by reading the rest of my review! You can also earn a discount on your next purchase-learn the details here!

Everest

My friend, Steph, has wonderful posts up here and here

And there is some great Motherhood questioning going on here

To be honest, I am going to have to think hard about my answers-What do I excel in as a Mother? If you asked that about my crafty skills, or back when I was in high school, I'd have a whole slew of answers for you, eager to show off what I thought I did very well in. But now? I honestly don't know that I excel at motherhood. I do my best, I have fun doing it, but excel? There is really not much that I do that I feel would win me mother of the year. I often don't have the dishes done, or the laundry folded. Sometimes I forget the time and naps are late. And yes, sometimes when I work I turn on the tv to keep Little Dude busy. So am I a good mom? I don't know. I'm glad The Extraordinary Ordinary asked, but I really can't pin point anything that I am just super great at as a Mom. In fact, I would say I am all around mediocre.

And let's not even get started on what I fail at as a parent. I can think of many more of those than I want to admit. The biggest? Since having JR I fail at leaving the house. It's hard for me to get everything together and done and out the door without just feeling like the effort is not worth it. But deep inside I know it is, and so I keep trying, over and over again because I know someday I'll get it. And I fail at patience. Again, since JR, I know I have much less patience, and I try to blame it on lack of sleep, but really I know that it is just because I am overwhelmed with all the things I want and try to do with the kids, and get upset when I can't get them accomplished.

But you know, I think it is OK to be mediocre at Mothering, because my Love is bigger than Everest, and eventually I will make it to the summit. I know the view from the top will be well worth the climb.

And then, we will make it out the door without me forgetting half the stuff we need, enjoy a nice picnic at the park without anyone running away as I try to grab the baby and catch him, Little Dude wont fall while I'm not paying attention and bust his lip open, and I will come home to a nice clean house, dinner ready on time, dishes done, laundry done,....

Who am I kidding, the laundry will never be done.

Sweet Sunrise

Gosh, I don't know the last time I watched a sunrise; I had forgotten how amazing it truly is. This morning, JR's feeding timed up right before the sunrise, so I pulled a chair outside and nursed him on the back patio while we waited for the sun to come up.

It was just amazing, and filled me with so much inspiration for our world, our lives, and our future. Sitting there with my son-snuggling with him and talking to him-while watching the sun come up, just reminded me how very unimportant and insignificat things I stress about are.

As most of you know, my computer died this past weekend, and I ended up having to buy a new one. I did get all my files switched over, but I am still trying to learn where they are and figure out this Windows Vista (I had Windows 2000, I think...) organized everything again, and most of all catch up on all the TONS of work that piled up for me at Dakno. All of yesterday I was stressing out over how I would ever find the time to catch up on everything that had piled up on me.

But this morining gave me a breath of fresh air. Sitting, listening to the world around me come alive as the sun started to warm us all up. In the big scheme of the world, I am so small in insignificant, and I have all my needs and majority of my wants satisfied. I have a healthy family, lovely boys and a wonderful husband. We have jobs that pay well. In fact, I have the best of both worlds with my job-I stay home with my sons, and work when they nap or when I have extra time at night.

So, overall, nothing to stress about today, because years from now it won't matter if I had to let my boss know I couldn't finish a project on time. But it will matter that I spent the morning with my son, watching the sun rise.

Yes, I think I will remember this morning into my nineties.

Shaving Cream Finger Paint

This is a repost of one of my favorite toddler/children activities. Little Dude just loves it and spent hours yesterday playing with the shaving cream, coloring, and just having a blast! Here is how to do it:



It is another Works For Me Wednesday hosted by Rocks In My Dryer! This time around I will share a fun fingerpainting alternative for preschool aged children (or children that are no longer trying to eat every new thing they see).

Shaving Cream Fingerpaint

I wouldn't advise this activity for children with sensitive skin or those prone to licking their fingers! If you like, substitute whipped cream or instant pudding if you are worried about the kids trying a taste.

Take:
Shaving Cream
Food Coloring or Tempera Paint

Squirt some shaving cream (or whatever you decide to use) onto a table top, highchair tray or piece of paper. Add a few drops of food coloring or sprinkle a bit of powdered tempera paint for instant fingerpaint fun!

Also, this is a great way to introduce letters and numbers to those of you with children 3 or 4 and up. You can put the shaving cream on the paper, spread it out, and show your kids out to spell out their names, initials or count up members of the family by using their fingers as "pens" in the cream. This is great for kids that are ready to move to learning letters and numbers, but just not quite at the motor skill level to hold a pen, crayon or chalk very well yet.

And this is a great way to make learning fun-just as it should be, esp for young children! This is also a FANTASTIC activity for a rainy day or to even do in the bathtub, with or without water. Just put the shaving cream on the tile walls and let the kids go to town. (watch the dye if you have white grout, as it might stain, you may prefer to just use plain shaving cream or pudding in the tub.)

All my preschoolers loved writing in the shaving cream and picking out the colors they wanted the cream to be, and it is also a great way to show how primary colors, when mixed, can create dozens of other colors!

Well, I hope you all have fun with this project!

Time

Some of my friends and family wonder how I do everything I do. Honestly, most of the time I don't feel like I do that much! The key, I think, is organization:

Whenever I have work to do for Dakno, I prioritize what I can get done quickly, and try to save big, on going tasks for weekends, or nights when my husband can take the kids for a few hours. Otherwise, I work when the kids nap.

For my blog, I have been doing posts during some of my nighttime feedings for JR, and I have been trying to write a few posts ahead of time (like this one I actually wrote on Monday) but then schdule them to post later in the week, when I know I will be too busy to spend time wrting for my blog.

With the kids, even though I like organization, when it comes to them, everything is pretty go with the flow. I do my best to not stress if we can't make a playdate on time, or miss library time, as long as I can get them out to play outside at least once a day, I am happy. Being flexible with their needs, (and putting those needs first) makes it easy to schudule everything else around them.

If I know we will be going to a playdate at 10, and that is working out with feedings, etc, then I know I can plan to get the kids lunch and naps by 12, and then start working by 12:30 or 1. Or, if we miss playdate because of a JR feeding, then I will take the kids for a walk, and then do my best to have them naping by 1, and start work around 1:30.

What if JR won't nap when Little Dude does? I make sure he is comfortable, fed, has a new diaper and toys to look at, or a swing to play with, and I put him down to entertain himself while I work. In the cases where he is unwilling to be put down, I wear him in a sling and let him watch me work. Usually after a little bit of wearing, he will fall asleep for me.

When do I clean the house and grocery shop? I do all cleaning in the afternoon while dinner is in the over. I geneally try to cook things that I can be unplugged from-like deep dish caseroles, or other such oven items. That way I can walk around tidding up the house before Bill gets home (and because really doing it before hand never works, the kids just pull everything out again anyway). All errands I run first thing in the moring, as early as possible so as to not have to mess with afternoon lines and so that I have the rest of the day to devote to kid outtings.

And above all? I have an awesome, amazing husband that loves jumping in to take care of the kids and give me breaks from them, which gives me the chance to really play with my blog, or if I need too, work. Thanks, Sweetheart!