Saturday, June 2, 2012
Delicious Secrets of a Mom Blogger
Lately I've been hearing a lot about how Pinterest and bloggers are making Moms feel inadequate, like they aren't doing enough with their kids compared to other Moms. Luckily, I doubt anyone feels that way about my blog since I'm a bit of a moron.
However, one of my fellow bloggers, At Home With Ali did a fun post about things she doesn't usually share on her blog. Ali is one of those amazing bloggers with insanely beautiful photos and creative ideas but in this post she admits that sometimes her kids wear pajamas all day. And she yells. The horror!! :-) I really enjoyed reading her post about her delicious little secrets so much that I thought I would share some of my own delicious secrets with my readers. As you will see, I'm certainly not a perfect Mom.
1. My kids have gone a full week without a bath
2. Last week, I was home alone with the kids and little Buddy pooped, and I pretended I didn't smell it for awhile because I really hate changing poopy diapers. He squirms and kicks and tries to grab the diaper and sometimes I just can't face it.
3. I love putting my kids to bed, mainly because I'm so excited for some adult time. This is especially true if I'm home alone and I know I'll get to watch Real Housewives all by myself.
4. When we pick up my favorite sub sandwiches, I order a cookie for myself, but not for the kids and I wait to eat it until they've gone upstairs for naps.
5. Sometimes I hear my daughter jumping on her bed during nap time. I don't go yell at her. I just smile, glad that she's staying upstairs where she is supposed to be.
6. Not that long ago, I put aluminum foil on a bowl and popped it in the microwave. Hubby heard strange noises and came running over and explained to me that you can't put foil in the microwave. I'd like to say that I just forgot about that rule and that's why I almost blew up my house and my family, but I honestly swear I never learned that rule. I've probably been doing it for years.
7. Little Buddy's first trip to the ER was totally my fault. Note to self: Wild wrestling encouraged by Mom is not a good idea, especially if it takes place close to furniture. Bloody heads will be the result.
8. I haven't ironed in over two years
9. I wash my jeans about twice a year
10. Sometimes I wear the same clothes two days in a row.
Okay, I better stop or you will lose all respect for me. I would really love to hear your delicious secrets...
Oh, and PLEASE vote for me, will ya?? I would LOVE to get back into the top 5!!! I NEED SOME VOTES!!! I really appreciate your support!!
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012
An Inspirational Cancer Story Involving a Newlywed, a Doctor's Wife, and a Birdhouse
Being married to a doctor sounds glamorous, but trust me, it isn't all it's cracked up to be. My husband and I have been together since college and it's been a very long road.
However, compared to my friend Colleen, my road seems like a short cul-de-sac. Colleen met her husband in college, and after college her husband moved to Omaha for medical school. She didn't know a soul there, but she wanted to be with him, so she enrolled in nursing school. Just when she was getting to know Omaha, they had to move again for residency. Colleen packed again and followed her husband to another city where she didn't know anyone. Things were going well until she started feeling sick. First, she got sore gums and didn't think much of it. Then she started feeling really tired, but again tried to ignore it. Eventually her gums started bleeding every time she brushed her teeth. Her parents finally convinced her to get blood work done and she was out running errands when she got the results back. The nurse on the other end of the phone told her she needed to go to the Emergency Room immediately. Colleen was confused.
"I can't go now," she told the nurse. "I'm just getting ready to walk into the grocery store."
The nurse replied, "Colleen, you don't understand. You need to drop what you're doing. You are in serious danger. Minutes will make a difference."
Collen was diagnosed with leukemia and her levels were so dangerous when she got that call, that the doctors told her she was incredibly lucky that she got there when she did. She began fighting for her life in a strange city, without her friends or her family. She spent lots of time in the hospital and at home, where she was quarantined and couldn't leave the house for fear of contracting a cold or worse. While she was stuck at home alone, she watched lots of TV and read books, but that got old fast. Eventually she started to just look out the windows and she noticed all the different birds. She bought a book and she became an avid bird watcher, and found that it was a very soothing way to pass the time.
Colleen battled through and when I met her, she had a full head of hair and a vivacious smile. I didn't even know she'd had cancer, because by this point, she'd been in remission for several months. Since she was a nurse at the hospital, my husband knew story and when he told me that she'd just gotten over cancer, I didn't believe him. This wonderful, energetic person didn't seem at all like a cancer patient to me, but it was true. She had lived through chemo, being quarantined to her house, and losing her hair as a twenty five year old newlywed. Yet she isn't bitter. On the contrary, she has flourished. She never complains about what she went through and she inspires me daily to look around and appreciate what I have. She has one year left here, before they will move yet again for her husband to complete his fellowship and will finally be done with all his training. She has made a full recovery and is 100% healthy today.
Colleen has become one of my dearest friends and my kids absolutely adore her. They talk about her constantly and Munchkin Girl told me one time, "Mommy, it's so nice of you to share your friends with me." Little Buddy definitely has a crush on her and every time he pulls out his pretend phone, I hear him saying, "Hi Coyeen. Coming soon?"
As a tribute to her, my kids painted a bird house for her. She isn't stuck at home anymore, but she still loves birds, and my kids love her, so I thought it was very appropriate. I bought a few birdhouses from Hobby Lobby for just a few dollars. Then I gave them some paint and let them go to work! Munchkin Girl is nearly four and she was very particular about the way she wanted it painted.
Little Buddy, on the other hand, had some trouble with his, so big sister jumped in to help him. They worked together on his.
When they were done, we kept one and gave the other to Colleen. She was thrilled with it and Munchkin Girl was so proud to give it to her. We put ours in the backyard and have even enjoyed watching the birds flock to the food!
I have written this story in connection with a project that was started by Mary Anne from a blog called, Mama Smiles. Mary Ann was diagnosed with cancer at age 22 months. She bounced back and is living a wonderful life with her husband and kids and this has inspired her to give back. She has formed a group of power bloggers to write about how cancer has touched their lives and all stories will be compiled for a book, which will be available to purchase. All proceeds will go toward Cancer Research. You can also donate below by clicking on the link. Thank you for your support!!
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
I could really use a favor....
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Sunday, May 27, 2012
A Truly Easy and non-messy Way to Keep Kids Busy
The other day I picked my daughter up from preschool and when I got there, she was quietly coloring a castle. I told her it looked beautiful and her teacher said, "Yes, she's been working on it for a really long time!"
I was a little shocked to hear this because normally at home I can't pay her to color with crayons. We have dozens of coloring books around the house and she doesn't give them a second glance. So, it occurred to me that maybe she would like to have a single sheet of paper instead of a whole book. Thus, began a little experiment of mine. I set out to find some free pages I could print and give to her. Much to my surprise and delight, she loved this idea! One afternoon we went into the office and I showed her various sites with coloring pages and she helped me pick out what she wanted. Of course, she was thrilled about coloring Tinkerbell, Ariel, Strawberry Shortcake, etc. We organized all her favorite pages into a big folder with her name on it, and her little brother got one too.
Coloring is such an easy, non-messy way to keep the kids busy and I'm thrilled to now be able to join the rest of society with a child who enjoys coloring! It's amazing to me how one little change like that can affect the enjoyment of a project. Think about it. She is basically coloring the same thing. Only now it's a single sheet of paper. Yet she is thrilled. Kids sure are strange. In any case, I did find some good sites for free printables if you want to give it a shot:
Crayola
They do have some coloring pages, including some Disney-themed characters, but I found their site to be slow and a little difficult to navigate.
Coloring Castle
This page had mostly generic things like castles and unicorns, but was very easy to navigate and print
Educational Coloring Pages
This was by far my favorite. They had every character you could imagine, both for boys and girls, and it was also very easy to navigate and print. However, my tip is to make sure to click their printer button instead of the one on your browser or it doesn't print right. Here were some of our favorites from this site:
Even Little Buddy (2) enjoyed all the coloring pages!!
If you need more easy crafts like these, please consider buying my book! I co-wrote it with former Kindergarten Teacher and best-selling author, Susan Case. We worked together to give both a Mom and a Teacher perspective and we give hundreds of ideas on ways to keep your kids busy, but in a productive way, so that they're actually learning while you cook dinner in peace! Here is what a reader wrote after she purchased our book:
I'm about halfway through your book, and it's a true gem in my quest to figure out how to yell less and enjoy my boys more. I'm glad I found your blog. ~ Prickly Mom
You can purchase a copy on Amazon or B&N. The Kindle version is $3.99 and the Paperback is $9.99. Thanks so much for your support!
Now wait!! Before you leave, will you vote for me pretty please? I would sooooo appreciate your support!!
Thanks to the following bloggers for their ideas on this! These ladies all have great sites!
Creative Family Fun
Make Do and Friend
Creative Play House
Jamie's Jumble
Hands on as We Grow
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