Monday, May 19, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Jewelry Board
Howdy! In the spirit of Mother's Day, I started (and finished) a nagging project.
Frankly, the project in question is not worth writing about. However, the jewelry board is fun-nish and a great reason to take a break :)
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Silence: Mommy's Best Defense
Tonight I put my money where my mouth is, and smacked down some vintage G-ma Clara parenting moves. No sissies stuff like whoopins. Something more risky--ending a play date. (Insert "Oh, No You Didn't" here).
On the trip over, we ran down the Good Choice Bullet List (backseat eye roll here): no excluding, hogging, bossing, lying or waiting to go potty. Expectations: be polite, share, go potty, and eat protein before sugar (yeah, right).
Side note: One sure way to avoid a meltdown in our house is by staying on top of protein / sugar ratios. The best offense and all that. Anything to avoid feral behavior, right?
In order to emphasize the seriousness of The Bullet List; my mouth decided to go all with "Or We'll Be Going Home". My brain, (focused on driving), snapped out of auto pilot, screaming, "Noooooooooooo!" But it was too late.
It's a classic parenting fail. Avoid ultimatums that impede on adult fun! Now, the chances of my leaving with a rabid child possessed by the spirit of IHateYouMom, have increased 50%.
Once said, no takebacks; so I threw out a quick "pretty please" prayer for peace.
The late Friday afternoon sunshine was motivating; neighbors bustled about mowing, cleaning gutters and planting spring flowers. Children's shrieks of laughter rocketed off white vinyl fencing.
What a treat for country critters like us! Rural living can be lonely for kids. Moms, too. The opportunity to hang out on a street full of friends--young and old-- is like a day at the fair. It's just plain fun!
I could feel the breeze from my own To Do list waving in the backyard of my mind. Sunny days are hard to come by in the PNW, and my [weed] gardens were beckoning from afar.
Well, our fun lasted about an hour. The offense itself was not horrible and could have been completely avoided had the truth been told from the start. (It wasn't even worth lying about...therein lies the button pushing. No kid can resist!!). Boy, was she surprised when we started driving down the road!
Quite frankly, my button was busted. Honestly, helping kids navigate through situations by making smart choices can be emotionally draining. Most times. Really, almost all the time. *Sigh*
The car ride home was amazingly quiet. Surprisingly difficult? Holding back ALL the words of wisdom I felt needed to be imparted. When did I get so "naggy"?
A strange resolution settled on my heart and mind. I've been asking Him for help a lot lately, especially in the parenting department. Something told me to keep my mouth shut.
Pulling into our driveway, there is an air of calm understanding in the car. Pointing to the broom, the penance determined: sweeping sidewalks and emptying the garbage. (That's right, check 2 off my list).
Here's where it gets interesting: Miss SassMouth is completely respectful! Oh, she was mad, don't get me wrong. However, in a completely unforeseen outcome, there came a load of "Yes Ma'am's, hugs and little trinket offerings to please me!
Yep, I soaked that all up like a nasty, hard yellow & green kitchen sponge. Sadly there are days when being a Mom is very much like that sponge. It's either soggy with dirty spills or left in the sink to hopefully soak up the nasty business around the drain.
(Personally, my sponge starts crumbling about an hour before bedtime). That's the not so great portion of motherhood.
While I wasn't able to set sail with Capt. Morgan and a few good friends (more than 2 drinks is a hangover anyway), my gem of a daughter and I tackled 2 big projects at home. Hee Heee! It may have taken three or four inspections before setting the child free, but nary a complaint could be heard. The whole experience was refreshing, like ripping the cellophane off a brand new kitchen sponge.
On the trip over, we ran down the Good Choice Bullet List (backseat eye roll here): no excluding, hogging, bossing, lying or waiting to go potty. Expectations: be polite, share, go potty, and eat protein before sugar (yeah, right).
Side note: One sure way to avoid a meltdown in our house is by staying on top of protein / sugar ratios. The best offense and all that. Anything to avoid feral behavior, right?
In order to emphasize the seriousness of The Bullet List; my mouth decided to go all with "Or We'll Be Going Home". My brain, (focused on driving), snapped out of auto pilot, screaming, "Noooooooooooo!" But it was too late.
It's a classic parenting fail. Avoid ultimatums that impede on adult fun! Now, the chances of my leaving with a rabid child possessed by the spirit of IHateYouMom, have increased 50%.
Once said, no takebacks; so I threw out a quick "pretty please" prayer for peace.
The late Friday afternoon sunshine was motivating; neighbors bustled about mowing, cleaning gutters and planting spring flowers. Children's shrieks of laughter rocketed off white vinyl fencing.
What a treat for country critters like us! Rural living can be lonely for kids. Moms, too. The opportunity to hang out on a street full of friends--young and old-- is like a day at the fair. It's just plain fun!
I could feel the breeze from my own To Do list waving in the backyard of my mind. Sunny days are hard to come by in the PNW, and my [weed] gardens were beckoning from afar.
Well, our fun lasted about an hour. The offense itself was not horrible and could have been completely avoided had the truth been told from the start. (It wasn't even worth lying about...therein lies the button pushing. No kid can resist!!). Boy, was she surprised when we started driving down the road!
The car ride home was amazingly quiet. Surprisingly difficult? Holding back ALL the words of wisdom I felt needed to be imparted. When did I get so "naggy"?
A strange resolution settled on my heart and mind. I've been asking Him for help a lot lately, especially in the parenting department. Something told me to keep my mouth shut.
Pulling into our driveway, there is an air of calm understanding in the car. Pointing to the broom, the penance determined: sweeping sidewalks and emptying the garbage. (That's right, check 2 off my list).
Here's where it gets interesting: Miss SassMouth is completely respectful! Oh, she was mad, don't get me wrong. However, in a completely unforeseen outcome, there came a load of "Yes Ma'am's, hugs and little trinket offerings to please me!
Yep, I soaked that all up like a nasty, hard yellow & green kitchen sponge. Sadly there are days when being a Mom is very much like that sponge. It's either soggy with dirty spills or left in the sink to hopefully soak up the nasty business around the drain.
(Personally, my sponge starts crumbling about an hour before bedtime). That's the not so great portion of motherhood.
While I wasn't able to set sail with Capt. Morgan and a few good friends (more than 2 drinks is a hangover anyway), my gem of a daughter and I tackled 2 big projects at home. Hee Heee! It may have taken three or four inspections before setting the child free, but nary a complaint could be heard. The whole experience was refreshing, like ripping the cellophane off a brand new kitchen sponge.
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