What a difference a few months make!

So I haven't posted since my first day at DMS.  I realize that after posting this morning.  I feel the need to do some follow up so those of you who have been so worried about my adjustment would be relieved.

I posted about the plethora of feelings I was having before my first day in October of 2012.  Now that seems like it was forever ago.  It took me a while to get the hang of everything, but it didn't take me long to fall head over heels for some of those kids.  Just like I said, kids are kids.  And I had a few kids this year who were out of this world.  I cannot begin to describe the pride I felt as I watched their buses pulling away on the last day as they waved goodbye.  I cannot describe the love I felt as I watched 3 girls run to me, arms wide, to give me one last hug before loading.  And I cannot describe the amazement I felt as one girl whispered, "I will never forget you.  I love you," in my ear.

Only a teacher can relate to what I'm saying.  I have always had a hard time saying goodbye, but this time was harder.  It was harder because I don't live in their community ... they are leaving ... going to Walton... I won't see them. Ever. Again.

Devastating, I tell you.

So the last week of school was full of emotions.

I watched as my school kids prepared for their summer vacations.  We had our 8th grade dance (I wish I had gotten some pictures ... it was so much fun!!) and our field day.  We took final exams and signed yearbooks.  I packed up my room during post-planning to return everything to my basement; I'm not sure if I'll be returning to DMS or not.  I think that's what made the end of the year so much more difficult.  I have grown very attached to my school, my students, and my co-workers.  I didn't think I was attached until I had to drive away the last day.  And as I left amongst "Good lucks" and "We hope to see you soons," I had a tiny sense of finality.

I really hope not.  I hope my administrators find a way to bring me back.  I hope I have a chance to work with the amazing teachers at DMS again.  I hope I'm able to see some of those little people again -- Walton football games may be calling my name.

But that's where I stand.  I am forever thankful for a friend who took a chance on me and talked me into  "just come in to meet with the principal."  I'm thankful to a principal who always tells it like it it and doesn't candy coat things.  I'm thankful to the teachers who welcomed me in and helped when I needed it but also let me find my own way if I was capable.  I'm thankful to the parents who made me feel valuable.  I'm thankful to the kids who made me feel like I'm still hip (wait, they don't use that word anymore??).  And I'm thankful to the precious butterbeans who let me watch them grow.  (They hated it when I used my little pet names on them ... especially the boys ...)

5 Things

Today was a good day.  A great first day. A fabulous first day with no pre-planning.

And while I am completely exhausted and Soo needing another glass of wine, I'm going to take a few minutes and share the things that really stuck with me today.

1) The ice machine at Dickerson has really good ice.  You know the ice at Zaxby's?  The ice that never seems to melt?  That's what kind of ice we have in East Cobb.  It's a perk.

2) You can locate the boys' locker room by following the cloud of Axe.  You're surprised???

3) I should have paid attention in science.  I was a bit (*just a bit...) out of my element today.  There were more than a few times when I had to say, "Ummm, hang on a sec, let me check on that for you."   Do you remember how to find the number of neutrons in a particular atom?  Or do you know why an atom is positively or negatively charged?  Yeah... Exactly.  I better brush up on my science.

4) All middle school girls befriend others the same way: with compliments.  It's good for the ego to be surrounded by 8th grade girls who compliment your clothes and hair.  Made my day.

5) Boys, no matter how old, appreciate a pat on the back.  There were a few times when I had to hold myself back from ruffling their hair (It's not preschool...), but I could tell they appreciated knowing I care, even if I just met them.

So those are the points I took away from today.  The school is great, the staff is welcoming, the kids are amazing, and the learning curve is gigantic.

Stained

For the life of me I cannot figure out how my 6 year old boy gets so darn dirty.  After scrubbing stains out of clothing for the last 30 minutes just to have to wash (and possibly re-wash), dry, and then fold them, I am amazed at how much stuff collects on Tanner's shirts.  Not only is there yogurt, PB & J, chocolate, and marker, but there are also signs of Sharpie, chalk, grease, toothpaste, and some other un-nameable substance.  Smells like rubber cement so I'm not entirely sure what it is.  They don't use that stuff in school anymore, do they?

Anyway, since there is no possible way he made all of that mess himself (though he did leave the house one morning with syrup, water, and toothpaste on his shirt ...), I'm convinced that he not only wipes his own face with his shirt, but his friends must also use his shirt as a napkin.

Or tissue.

Ewww.  I hope that's not what the un-nameable substance is ...

Oh, the joys of having boys!

The Fit Test ...

... was harder than any workout I've ever done.

Seriously.  

My fellow Insanity grads did not adequately prepare me for the intensity of the fit test.

Yes, I said the fit test.  In laymen's lingo, the "warm up" workout.  The workout you do before the real workouts to make sure you can even handle the real workouts.

And, let me just say, Tim and I looked at each other after the WARM UP like, "What the heck have we gotten ourselves into??!!"

But, with that said, we completed our fit test yesterday afternoon, and we passed with flying colors.  Thanks to P90X ... I can't imagine just jumping right into this workout series.  Kuddos to those of you who have done it!!

As promised, I will be sharing my evolutionary changes as I embark on this journey.  Sounds like it will be an amazing trip, right? ;)  However, I will not be sharing my "before" photo today.  Perhaps I will share it later ... when I have some progressive photos to go along with it!

Starting weight (can't believe I'm positing this): 131.7

Starting waist: 30

Starting hips: 38.25

Left thigh: 22.5

Right thigh: 22.25

Ugh.

Fit test results (Day One):

Switch kicks: 84

Power jacks: 49

Power knees: 92

Power jumps: 20

Globe jumps: 5 (This is about the time I starting to feel like I was going to vomit ...)

Suicide jumps: 13

Push-up jacks: 14

Low plank obliques: 50 (This is about the time I had to burp a few times to ensure I did not vomit ...)

For an extensive explanation of each of these moves, you can check the Insanity website.

Or you can just take my definition: TORTURE.

There is no other way to describe it.

So, after day one of eating 5 meals a day (totaling 1500 calories), drinking no alcohol, and completing my fit test (which was only 25 minutes of TORTURE), I'm feeling OK.  Not too sore ... my quads and hammies hurt a little bit, but not like the soreness I got from Tony Horton.  So I guess that's a good sign.

The body always remembers ...

So let's hope this one remembers what its like to be 20 pounds lighter!! ;)

It is time.

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I could hear a little voice inside my head.

Well, let's be honest, I usually do hear little voices when I'm getting ready ... but this one was different.

As the round brush got stuck in my hair once, twice, three times ...

... and I lifted each section of hair to be fried in the flatiron ...

The voice kept repeating ...

"It is time."

I would have found it more annoying if it hadn't been the voice of Rafiki from The Lion King.

(Be honest, you read it in his voice too, didn't you?!)

So it is time.  Time for what, I'm not sure.  Time to chop it off.  Time to get extensions.  Something!

I wish there was way to make your hair grow longer overnight.  Like you could just wish it and it would happen.  That would be great.  Right now I'm feeling pretty impatient.

Growing this hair out is taking entirely too long.  And now it's at that gross stage ... not long enough to pony, too long to not ...

Anyway, just thought I'd share a chuckle this morning.

Oh, and to save myself some time later, here's the update on the house!

New powder room -- check!
New laundry room -- check!
New K's room -- check!
New T's room -- check!

 Now we are just waiting on some new big boy furniture for Tanner's room and we will be DONE.

And we are exhausted.

But it does look fabulous!!

Whose Butt was That?

I was in Target the other day and I saw one of the most disgusting sights.  I'm going to try really hard not to offend anyone here, but it was bad.  This butt I saw was squeezed into these teeny little shorts, under which there were some pretty obvious panty lines due to some too-small panties.  The belt that this girl so obviously did not need to hold her pants up was only accentuating the muffin top protruding from the top of these low-slung shorts.

You know, everyone shouldn't wear low cut pants.  Sometimes it just makes things that should be held in ... well, not held in.

Anyway, as this body turned and looked in the mirror, checking to see how things looked "back there," I noticed that the thighs and butt had dimples.  The cottage cheese was just ridiculous.  Seriously.  I mean, why didn't anyone tell this woman that she shouldn't wear those shorts?  Why didn't someone tell her to wear jeans?  Or better yet, she should've just stayed home and worked out!

(You're thinking I'm really terrible right now, aren't you?  I know, I should just keep some of these thoughts to myself, but I warned you.)

So, as this woman perused swimsuits and more shorts, I couldn't help but be reminded of the fried apple pies I just ate, or the pasta loaded with cheese I ate for dinner.  I also couldn't help but think that maybe I should put down the frappucino with extra whip, go home and work out too.  I mean, I used to be so motivated?  What in the world happened?

Just as I was thinking these very thoughts, I turned and recognized the girl.

Holy crap!  That girl looks just like me.

Oh ... wait ...

Maybe I should lay off the fried pies and gooey cheese for a while.

(And you thought I was talking about someone else!!  I wouldn't talk about someone else like that!)

A picture is worth a thousand words

Recently I've had to realize how big my kids are getting. With Kendall's 5th birthday, she has found a new independence that I had hoped would come with age. She enjoys helping me around the house now (never mind that she gets stickers and allowance for helping). She dresses herself in clothing and shoes that match. She bathes herself. She brushes her own hair and teeth. And just yesterday she cleaned the entire playroom by herself, and everything was in the correct bin when I checked. (You know this is no small feat if you've seen our playroom.) With all of this independence, I have allowed Kendall to take on some "duties" as the big sister. I had no idea this would cause one of the most humorous moments of my mommy-career.

Allow me to give you some background. A few weeks ago, Tanner started waking before the coffee pot comes on. We have a simple rule in the mornings -- no one gets out of bed before the coffee pot comes on. I used to set it for 7:30, then it went back to 7:00, and now with the early sunrise, I've moved it all the way back to 6:30. Anyway, I digress. Tanner used to sleep until 8 ... and Kendall always woke fairly early, but she would just climb in bed with me and we would lie there for an hour or so until Tannerbug woke. So when he started getting up early, I knew the sleeping in was over. (He even woke up before 6 one morning; I thought I would die.)

At first, he would just call me to come get him. I would try to get him to go back to bed, but it rarely worked. Then I tried putting him in bed with me, but he doesn't lie still the way Kendall does, so it was a moot point. After a few days, I noticed he wasn't coming in anymore. But shortly after 6:30, I would hear giggles. From Kendall's monitor. So Tanner had started going into Kendall's room and lying in bed with her. No big deal. The coffee pot kicks on, and they come get me.

But this past week they have started a new morning ritual. Lord knows what time they wake up, but Tanner goes to Kendall's room and they go upstairs to the playroom. I never hear a peep. Kendall usually puts in a movie (It has been Annie this week since she got it for her birthday.), and they sit in their little Pottery Barn chairs and watch a movie until I get up. But yesterday I was met in the kitchen by two beautiful princesses - one in a gorgeous pink dress and ballet shoes, and one in a tu-tu with Sleeping Beauty high heels. The two prettiest princesses I've ever seen.

While Tim wasn't terribly excited about the whole thing, I found it to be absolutely precious. When we tried to "talk" to Tanner about dressing in Sissy's dresses, he matter-of-factly stated, "Sissy let me borrow one." He, in fact, did not mean to dress as a princess. He simply wanted to play dress up with Sissy, and his Batman costume was nowhere to be found.

So he improvised. (Side note : If you're looking for something to give Tanner for his birthday, boy dress up clothes would be ideal!)

This made my day and kept me smiling every time I got frustrated with the little things that irritate me. I was reminded that I have been waiting for this day for a long time -- not the day that my son would dress like a girl, but the day when my two angels would play together and enjoy each other's company. This moment is why I decided on two children instead of one. These moments are few and far between, so I'll take them while I can. And I was reminded, once again, that this is why God made me ...

Naughty

I'm using this one this year ... hopefully, it will work!!

Costume Party, Fall-Festival Style

One of Kendall's bestest friends decided she was going to have a costume party to celebrate Halloween. Well, I'm assuming her mom actually decided this since it is her favorite holiday. I was excited simply because Kendall and Tanner would have the opportunity to get some good wear out of their Halloween costumes. So on Thursday after Tanner's nap, we dressed in layers with costumes on top ... and coats ... because it was freezing ... and we headed out to Hailey's house.

I expected to see a few little kids running around in costumes; but the sight was amazing! Carnival games all over the front lawn. Bouncers. Bobbing for apples. Duck pond. Goodies and goody bags. Cupcakes. Candy corn ... you're smiling because you understand my obsession now. ;) And every costume you can imagine.

Naturally there were the princesses -- Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Tinkerbell, Aurora, and Snow White. There were super heroes -- Batman, Superman, Mr. Incredible. And the TV and Movie characters -- Hannah Montana, the High School Musical crew (I don't know all their names), and even 2 little Indiana Jones-es, fully equipped with whips and hats.

There were more kids than I expected -- and it certainly caught my two off guard. Kendall and Tanner stuck to me like glue the entire time we were there, which wasn't too long. We played a few games -- tossed the beanbags, caught some ducks in the duck pond. We tried to play in the back yard, but there were a lot of bigger kids running around. Kendall did get one chance on the swings to show off her new pumping skills. And Tanner got a chance to climb up the ladder on the swingset and slide a few times. All in all, it was a good time, but I never would have taken on that task by myself like Melissa did! Of course, she appeared to be taking it all in stride. I never saw her running ragged ... like I do at every party I'm in charge of. She just sorta goes with the flow -- she must have better pills than I do! ;)

Anyhow, the best parts of the party ...

5) There was a little boy who was stalking the cupcake table. He would pick one up, bite it, and put it back. Then he'd pick up another one and continue the same process until he had gone through about 10 cupcakes. I should have stopped him, but it was so darn funny to watch!!

4) There was a little girl who was obsessed with Kendall. When we arrived, she ran up and threw her arms around Kendall, screaming, "No Why!!!!!" (Translation: Snow White) She followed Kendall around the entire time ... her mom said that they had just gotten back from Disney and she loved Snow White. It was precious to see the adoration in this little girl's eyes!

3) I was certainly proud of Kendall pumping those little legs on the swings ... Hailey kept asking me if I would push her on the swings. She said, "Ms. Keisha, you can push me and Kendall at the same time." Kendall told her, "No, Hailey, I can do it myself!"

2) There was another little Batman at he party. He was nowhere near as cute as my little Batman, but still precious. Tanner would run up to him every time he saw him and "punch" him in the stomach. His costume had those little muscles in it, and Tanner got the biggest kick out of hitting that little boy in his "muscles." Very amusing.

1) The best thing about the party? What made me the most proud? When all the other kids were pitching a fit and crying because they wanted more cupcakes or more punch or more candy, guess what my kids were doing???? Drinking water and eating apples. I wish I could say that this is because of my good child-rearing ways, but I think they just wanted to get out of the little bitty room where the screaming kids and sugar were. But to the other parents, my kids looked like such angels!!

If only they knew the truth ...

Tattling vs. Telling

A new monster has reared its ugly head in the Morris household. I'm not sure who opened the door to this monster. Perhaps all homes with 4-year-old girls get a visit ... the question is - how do we deal with it?

The monster I am referring to it the TattleTale. It is an ugly, fierce monster. Very hard to deal with. Mean. Sneaky. And whiny. And Kendall has welcomed it with open arms.

I must try to make you understand how ferocious the TattleTale can be. If you have not encountered one, you should know that it approaches slowly and quietly. And then, when you least expect it, it pounces. Usually in late afternoon when you may be trying to fold some laundry or get dinner ready. It changes your child ... your once sweet and capable-of-dealing-with-her-own-problems child. I'm not certain why this creature usually finds little girls to be more appealing than little boys. Maybe it's because little boys are more likely to, um, find other ways to deal with issues that come up between themselves and their friends. But girls are different. So now, instead of trying to beat the monster off with a stick, we're trying to figure out how to live with it.

Tattletales are not so bad all the time. They can provide large amounts of information when needed. I sort of think of them as little gossips. However, there is a side of the TattleTale that is nothing short of annoying. Allow me to give you an example:

This morning, I was rushing around trying to get myself, Kendall, and Tanner dressed before taking Kendall to school and taking Tanner to the doctor. Tanner was jumping on the bed with his shoes on, which is usually a no-no, but you do what you have to do to get out the door before 9 AM. So Tanner was jumping while I was begging Kendall to brush her teeth and trying to find a T-shirt that wasn't too wrinkled to throw on. Instead of brushing her teeth, like I asked, Kendall proceeded to give me commentary on everything Tanner was doing.

"Mommy, Tanner is jumping on the bed. He has his shoes on. He's not supposed to do that."

Well, duhhhh. If only she could put so much effort into staying in her bed at night! I've been trying to explain to Kendall that she doesn't have to tell me Tanner is doing something if I am standing right there. I can see him. So I told her to go brush her teeth and let me deal with Tanner.

Another example, which is the more likely scenario:

I'm trying to get dinner ready in the midst of Witching Hour. Kendall and Tanner are playing on the back deck, quietly at first. Then it starts.

"Mommy, Tanner is driving his car around the table."

"Mommy, Tanner told me no."

"Mommy, Tanner is blowing bubbles out of his nose."

"Mommy, Tanner won't let me jump off the porch." (OK, that one is a stretch.)

Anyway, you can see the pattern. Kendall has made a habit of tattling about anything and everything that doesn't go her way. So, how to deal with it.

I read an article (there I go reading again) about teaching your kids the difference between "telling" and "tattling." This is what we've been trying to teach Kendall. "Telling" is what you do when someone is doing something that hurts you or themselves. Tattling is the opposite. So now, every time Kendall wants to tell me that Tanner is picking his nose or playing with his wee-wee, I remind her that he is not hurting her. If Tanner hits or bites her, then she can tell me all she wants. So far, this seems to be working. We still have to remind her about, oh, 15 times a day, but maybe some of it is sinking in. And it doesn't hurt that there is usually an episode on Dora or Super Why explaining the difference between tattling and telling, too. Mom's always need reinforcements.

For now, the TattleTale appears to be under control in the Morris house. Hopefully he won't set up camp for too long ... or Mom and Dad will have to break out some "monsters" of their own!

Quite a Scare

Allow me to introduce you to Lovey. Lovey is Tanner's comfort object. Yes, I meant to capitalize Lovey because it is a proper noun in our house ... Tanner almost considers it a person, I think. In his head, he cannot live without Lovey. And on Friday evening, Lovey disappeared.

Yes, we had quite a scare. If any of your children have a lovey (or a bear, or a baby), you will understand how devastating this was for our little man. Kendall has always had a lovey- her pink and white bunny blanket. For years, she wouldn't go anywhere without hers. So it was inevitable that Tanner would have one as well. My cousin Laurie even bought Tanner the same kind of lovey, a blue and white bunny blanket. So from the day he was in his own bed, I have had that bunny blanket in Tanner's bed. It took a long time before he bonded with that blanket. I don't really have evidence of a bond until around March 2007. There are a few pictures here and there, but nothing like what we have with Lovey now.

For months, Tanner could care less about that bunny blanket. He wanted it when he slept, but it didn't soothe him much during the day. The only crazy thing was that he wouldn't suck his thumb without having his lovey in the crook of his arm. Once the connection was made between the two (lovey and thumb), it was never broken.

Now some of you are thinking, "Now wait a minute. I've seen Lovey, and he ain't no blue and white bunny blanket." Well, you are correct. Starting sometime around January, Tanner started taking a liking to anything silky. He would use my nightgowns, Kendall's dress-up clothes, her PJ pants, a Barbie dress. Then, one day while cleaning out my drawer I stumbled upon a scarf I bought in college. It's is tiger striped and silky. Once Tanner found it, that was it. Lovey was born.

Now it is hard to find Tanner without Lovey. It always travels in our diaper bag and rides in the car seat with Tanner. Lovey swims, rides tractors, eats dinner at our table, sits in timeout, and goes grocery shopping. Tanner must have it to sleep. And really, there is no replacement. It smells disgusting, as most comfort objects do. It has holes in it where he has chewed on it until he could get his thumb through a hole (therefor making it easier to hang onto, I guess). When I have to wash it (which he does let me do occasionally), he paces in front of the washing machine and dryer while it is being cleaned. And once it is out, he is ecstatic.

So on Friday, Kendall and Tanner had been playing all over the place ... outside, upstairs, in bedrooms, jumping on beds ... so when Lovey came up missing, we weren't even sure where to start looking. Naturally, we didn't realize it was missing until bathtime, which didn't give us much time to turn the house upside down looking for it. Tanner walked around yelling, "Lo-vey. Where are you?" while Tim and I pulled out toys, looked under furniture, checked cabinets, looked under the deck outside, everything. After searching for a bout an hour, we came up with nothing. It was bedtime and I had to prepare Tanner for a night without Lovey ... and perhaps many nights afterwards.

So as bedtime neared, we talked about sleeping with "new lovey" and how we would find "other Lovey" tomorrow. He was agreeable until we sat down in the rocking chair.

"Mommy, where udder Lovey go?"

"Lovey went bye-bye, Babby. You're gonna sleep with new lovey tonight. Remember?"

"OK."

And so it went on for 20 minutes or so. I would rock and hum, he would sit quietly with 3 or 4 other silky objects crammed in the crook of his arm. Just when I thought he was drifting off, he would say, "Mommy, where udder lovey go?" I finally got him to get in his bed and fall asleep after about 45 minutes, but it didn't last. Tanner woke up several times that night asking for Lovey. It was heartbreaking.

Saturday the kids went to Mom's to spend the day and night so Tim and I could go to Athens. I mentioned to her that Lovey was lost, but not to mention anything about it and maybe he would forget. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Nope. When he got home Sunday, first thing he said to me was, "Mommy, where udder lovey go?"

I was prepared for the fact that I had probably scarred my little boy for life. He would never be comforted again in his times of need. He would be unable to love and nurture his own children and to care for his wife. He would become a cynical and pessimistic man because his comfort abject was taken away too early. How would he ever survive?

Then it happened. We were upstairs cleaning the playroom (which had been turned inside-out twice, mind you) when Tanner yelled, "I foun udder lovey, Mommy!!!" I've never seen him so happy! Never! He immediately stuck Lovey in the crook of his arm, stuck his thumb in his mouth and laid down on the floor in the middle of the room. I honestly thought he would drift off to sleep right there . . . it was so sweet.

So all is well in the world. Lovey has returned. Tanner is whole ... and happy. And I will never again be embarrassed by the fact that my son carries a tiger-striped Lovey everywhere he goes.

Animal print is in, after all!

Mommy, there's poop in the water!!

Yep, it finally happened. My best friend used to tell me stories about how her daughter would do this every time they put her in the bathtub. I suppose the heat "relaxes" everything on the inside. But Kendall never did it. Not in 4 years. And Tanner didn't do it ...

Until last night. I tried to get him to sit on his potty before he got in the bathtub, just like always. He refused to sit on it, even though his diaper from the past hours was bone dry. I should have taken that as a hint that there was something going on in there. So I put Tanner in the tub and he squatted. Naturally, he peed in the tub (while that may sound icky to some of you, there's really no way to avoid it). I walked out of the bathroom to put dirty clothes in hampers when Kendall yelled, "Mommy, how did poop get in the bathtub? Is that poop?! Mommy!! Mommy!! It's coming!!!"

Ewww, ewwwww, and ewwwwwwww! When I got back in the bathroom, Tanner's poop was floating in the water. I had flashbacks from the South Park episode with the floating poo ...

At first, I wasn't even sure what to do. So I just reacted. I pulled Kendall out first, wrapped her in a towel and sent her to tell Tim to start the water in our bathtub. Then I lifted Tanner out, all the while, he was saying, "Sowwy, Mommy." I wrapped him and sent him off to the other bathroom. I started to let the water drain when I realized that the "poo" wasn't going to wash down the drain.

Oh, dear. So what did I do? Desperate times call for desperate measures. I used the cup for rinsing shampoo to chase down the poo. It took several tries before I was able to catch all of it. I flushed it down the potty and immediately sprayed down the tub and threw the contaminated toys in the laundry sink to be bleached. The rest of the night continued as planned.

But after I fell asleep last night, I had a dream about floating poo. Those of you who think this is disgusting, you are correct. But it is just one of those things that we do as mothers. Things that we would never do for anyone else, and sometimes not even for ourselves (ie. cleaning up vomit, pee, blood, or poo), we do for our children. Because we have to. And if we don't do it, no one will.

Just another one of the "perks" of being a mom.

No "Mother of the Year" Here

OK, I don't mean to be down on myself. But I realize that I sometimes a paint an unfair picture of my kids. Many times I complain about them, how much they whine, how much they tire me out, how much I wish I could get a break from them. So, in the spirit of fairness, I am going to present the top 10 reasons why I will NOT be winning mother of the year this year.

10) I have been known to give a child Benadryl to get some sleep. (Don't knock it til you've tried it!)

9) Every day for lunch my kids eat one of three things: peanut butter and jelly, mac n cheese, or chicken nuggets. Yes, EVERY DAY.

8) I do not make my kids brush their teeth twice a day, every day.

7) I am not a get in the floor and play mom; play time is used for checking e-mail.

6) I allow Kendall to play on the Internet at age 4. (I don't think this is so bad, but some people will.)

5) I look forward to "play dates" more for the adult time than for the kid time.

4) I let my kids jump on the bed, climb over the back of the couch, and walk around while they eat.

3) I still let both of my kids, ages 4 and 2, drink from sippy cups. Apparently, children should be off sippies when they are 2.

2) Days may go by before I realize, "You know, the kids haven't had a single vegetable in __ days." And that blank is not filled with the number 1.


1) My kids don't get breakfast in the mornings until I've had AT LEAST one cup of strong coffee.

However, allow me to point out the following:

-- Suri (Cruise) still drinks from a bottle all the time, and she is 3.

-- Ryder (Kate Hudson's boy) has lonnnnnnng hair and looks like a girl way more than Tanner does.

-- Britney -- enough said.

I may be no Mother of the Year, but my kids mean more to me than anything. I love watching them learn new things and discover how things work. I love waking up to Kendall every morning, even if I have been sleeping with her in her bed all night long. I laugh every time Tanner asks, "Why, Momma?" simply because I know he really wants to know why. I'm so blessed that I have been able to stay home with them these past two years. And while they are never as happy to see me as they are to see Tim, I'm OK with that. We share a bond comparable to no other, my kids and me. And while they have plenty of people to love them all around them, they will never find another love like mine!

Good Morning, Good Night

I have to post this before I forget how amazingly cute it was.

Let me set the scene:

Dim lights, fan set on medium, sound machine on, Tanner and Mommy in the rocking chair with sippy up, "lully" (lovey), and book. We couldn't find the Digger truck book, so we settled for one of Kendall's favorites as a toddler, Good Morning, Good Night. It's one of those books that has the touchy-feely pages. All kids love the touchy-feely books.

So we proceed to read.

"There's the kitty. Say night night, Kitty"
"What's that?"
"That's a ball of yarn for the kitty to play with."
"Why?"
"Because, baby."
"OK, Mommy."
-- turn the page--
"There's the puppy. Say night night, puppy."
"What's that?"
"That's the puppy's bone."
"Why?"
"I don't know, it just is."
--turn the page--
"There's the chicky. Say night night chicky."
"What's that?"
"That's her feathers."
"Why, Mommy?"
"So she can fly."
"Oh. Why?"

We proceeded through this book two times, following the pattern both times.

I love this phase. The "why's" don't bother me too much because I know pretty soon he'll start telling me instead of asking me. I especially love the way he takes all of my explanations as if they are the truth ... he never questions my answers, always trusting that I know everything. I hope that I can continue to satisfy his curiosity as he grows into a little boy.