Adjusting to life as a stay at home parent.. the reality

Since having my children, I've pretty much always been a working mom. I was that mom who worked and resented working. I was the mom who worked all day, came home, and basically crashed after doing the mad must-do-homework-make-supper-give-baths-with-a-quickness dash. Every working mother knows that dance. It's a couple hours of evening insanity that not only are you experiencing, your neighbors are probably going through that same...joy...as well.

This year, my husband and I decided that we were tired of doing the evening-o'-hell-dance. We

were tired of cramming an entire days worth of parenting into two or three not-so-fun hours. We were determined to make a change. Our oldest daughter is headed into (GASP) dreaded middle school. Our youngest daughter is heading into Pre-K. We've come to the realization that our kids need us more now that they're in school. So, we decided I would quit my job and be a stay at home mom. We took the plunge. 

I was so excited to stay home with my girls. I had visions of a spotless house, perfectly well-mannered children, a vegetable garden growing in the backyard, and a beautiful home-cooked meal laid on the table every evening. I imagined my family life was simply perfect..Southern Living perfect. How can someone not be excited about staying at home with their family?

Reality slapped me in the face with a quickness. I never did have the unrealistic expectation that I'd sleep in every day and that staying home would be easy. I certainly did not think that I could change the dynamic of my family overnight.. I did, however, hope that we could jump into the swing of our new lifestyle rather quickly and that the adjustment would be an easy one. Life has a funny way of proving me wrong. Quite often, actually.

You see...my kids are now together 24/7. They miss their individual friends and tend to take that out on each other. Sisters naturally tend to disagree but when they don't ever...EVER...get a break from each other, the disagreements quickly escalate from bickering to WW3. It amazes me how kids can be so mean to each other! To keep drama at a minimum, we try to keep activities going and we attempt to get out and explore our community.  Until the rain comes in...and this summer has produced so much rain that I think Mother Nature is straight up telling me 'Nah, Nah, Nah, Boo, Boo! You quit your job so I'll show you!' Much to my dismay, Mother Nature does not have a complaint department that I can email my problems to. We're wrapping up the wettest summer in history and we've pretty much just had to suck it up.

I've also learned cooking is not my forte. In the beginning, I googled countless recipes. With excitement and long grocery lists, we tackled the grocery store in search of random items such as zucchini (for a family that considers corn their staple veggie..this one is huge), ground ginger, garlic cloves.. We'd come home and I'd 'whip up' meals that somehow..every time..seemed to qualify for the Pinterest FAIL blogs. Not one to give in easily, I'm still trying to get it right. For someone who is in her (VERY) early 30's, you'd think I'd have cooking down pat. The good news is.. my husband is one who will happily choke down the disaster I place in front of him. He'll smile and say 'Yeah..it's great!' while our kids are bawling because they've discovered they loathe zucchini. They're far more transparent than he is.

My point to this rambling blog is this: It's hard to be a parent. Period. It's not easy when you're working, away from our home and children because you feel as though you're missing out on so much in their lives. Your house is always a disaster and you find yourself in the middle of a rat race, feeling as though you're always coming in last. It's just as hard though, to be a stay at home parent. You find yourself missing out on the adult world. You will have days when your husband comes home and you BOLT out of the house.. trying to seek out whatever peace and quiet you can. Your house is a mess, either way. Your kids are sassy, either way. Laundry will pile up, either way. You are stressed either way.

I don't regret my decision to stay home with my girls, for my family it's what needed to happen. I will say...without a doubt... being a stay-at-home mother is the hardest job I've ever done. I do miss working outside of the home and the face-to-face interacting with adults but when I did work I missed my kids even more. I see working moms that resent home moms and I also see mother who stay at home who resent the working mother. There simply is no happy medium. Reality is..parenting is hard.

The most important thing is.. I'm lucky enough to have the children God asked me to look after. I love being with them and I hope that they love being with me. Working or not, I've decided to care for them to the best of my abilities...even if that means forcing them to eat horrid zucchini.

Got Mail?

Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays!! Love is in the air...everyone has decorated with red, pink, purple...the world has settled down from the Christmas scurry.. Bliss!!


I can't say the original part of the idea is mine...it's not. BUT I can tell you that my kids have had a lot of fun with this. They love racing down the stairs in the morning, checking their very own mail boxes, and reading why mom & dad love them OH so very much. 


I found these little boxes at Target, decorated them with vinyl from my Cricut, and voila! V-Day success.
I set them on top of Mason jars (save your spaghetti jars :) so the girls can place their love notes inside and read them whenever they'd like. 


:)

Sadness

I discovered this fabulous website through a girl at work. When playing with pictures, I wanted a website that would do cutsie stuff to my pics..but not one that charged me an arm and a leg to do it. Soooo... I was told to 'picnik it'. HARK!! I was introduced to countless hours playing with family pics..editing..making subway art.. just in my zone. When I checked my email this am (cup of coffee in my hands..still fuzzy eyed), I was saddened to read the email informing me that my beloved site was closing April 19th of this year.

The good news is today through that date..all features are now free (including 'Premium' features that required payment prior to today). If you were one who purchased 'Premium' features, you should be reimbursed in full.. see site for details. Until April..I plan on fully utilizing this site.. with a tissue in hand. :*) Thank you, Google for such a great site!

Pinterest Hazards..be careful what you Repin!

While browsing Pinterest tonite (shocker, eh?), I came across a few pins showing off gorgeous home made toys/activity bags/etc. created for children. I was SUPER excited to see what these gifted crafters came up with, and even more excited to try it at the center I run... I clicked on the pin, searched the Blogs, and then came to a SCREECHING halt when I realized what my peepers were showing me.. Choking hazard after choking hazard after CHOKING HAZARD!!

Ok.. your typical parent is not a Director of a childcare facility and would have no way of knowing what these hazards may be. Truthfully, until I started to get down & dirty in my position, I didn't know either. Sooo.. I decided to post what I know. Even if this was to potentially save the life of ONE sweet child, I have done what God is leading me to do.. Please note I'm not trying to be Debby Downer. I just don't want any child to get hurt.. SO..Here goes... (this information was found at this link: http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/injury_prevention/choking_prevention_for_children.htm


Important Facts

• Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death in children under the age of 5.
• Children under age 5 are at greatest risk for choking injury and death.
• Toys, household items and foods can all be a choking hazard.
• The most common cause of nonfatal choking in young children is food.
• At least one child dies from choking on food every five days in the U.S., and more than 10,000 children are taken to a hospital emergency room each year for food-choking injuries.
• Toy manufacturers label toys for choking hazards and some food manufacturers voluntarily label food products as posing a potential choking risk; however, any food can present a choking risk.
• Education regarding choking risks, precautions to take in avoiding these risks, and known life saving procedures are necessary to eliminate senseless and tragic injuries and deaths caused by choking.
• Pediatricians, family practice physicians, health care workers, parents, grandparents, day care workers, school personnel, older children, siblings, babysitters and communities as a whole play a key role in the prevention of injuries and need to share information with caregivers to identify potential choking hazards.
• The size of a young child's trachea (windpipe) or breathing tube is approximately the size of a drinking straw in diameter. Imagine a piece of popcorn being lodged in this small area!

So now what? Here's some tips I recommend for all parents whether you have infants or teenagers. It's a great idea to be educated!

-Keep an eye on items your children play with/eat/are exposed to. Just because a toy is adorable and keeps your wee one entertained does not mean it's safe.

-Go ahead and purchase a 'Small Parts Tester' (can be purchased here:http://www.perfectlysafe.com/choketester.html) These little guys are super handy and will let you know if the item baby wants to play with is a hazard. Please note there are some items that are exempt from these testers, such as balloons. If a balloon becomes lodged in a child's throat (no matter what the size is), it is extremely difficult to remove.

-Take a CPR/First Aid course!! I know if my children get into harms way, the last thing I want to do is stand back, helpless. Become educated.. There are links below that will give you worlds of knowledge..allowing you a piece of mind!

-Never EVER give your young preschooler hot dogs. They are one of the leading foods children choke on (along with popcorn, grapes, nuts, hard candy, etc..). Also.. suckers (or lollipops..whichever term you use). Certain brands don't attach the candy to the stick very well.. if you give your young one a sucker and the candy comes off of the stick, it can easily lodge in their throat. EEEKK!!

-Check items for labels such as these before you purchase them for your cutie pattotie: 

There are many sites, dedicated towards keeping children safe. These listed are just a few:

http://babyhalfoff.com/index.php/Midwest-Monkeys-Safe-Sizer-Choking-Prevention-Plate
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=113518

http://swpediatrics.net/pdfs/Choking.pdf

http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-resources-by-risk-area/choking-suffocation-and-strangulation/choking-prevention-safety.html


If you have any other info you feel would be important to share, let me know :)

Baby Word Collages.. so adorable and forever meaningful!

Every child needs one!

Thank you, Pinterest for yet another idea!

I am a self-confessed Pinterest Addict. I love, love, LOVE looking at this site, searching through other Blogs, and seeing what others have created. I have seen SO many wall hangings that inspire readers... so I decided to make a sign of happiness for the child care center I run.

I used a piece of wood (thanks again to my wonderful Step Dad for the wood!!), my Cricut, and Mod Podge. I hope others will see this sign and can come up with something wonderful for their own place of business!

Newness!

It's so crazy how receiving a gift can totally change your life. This Christmas, I was given the BOMBSHELL of gifts for a crafter.. A CRICUT.

I know. I know.. I'm a little late. These bad boys have been out for years. Don't judge.. :)
I can't help but to be behind sometimes..

ANYhoo. It took me just a short while to learn how to operate this little machine of happiness and then..BAM! I was off and running (while my husband was groaning in his recliner..:)

My step dad gave me a few scraps of wood, leftover from a SPECTACULAR tree house he's been building..I knew I'd be greatful for the wood..that I'd figure out some sort of crafty little SOMETHINGS to create. And I DID!!

This is so super duper easy that ANYONE could do it!

Steps:

-Paint wood with any ole' color you desire

-Let dry (always the hardest part for me as I possess absolutely ZERO patience)

-Choose Cricut designs (the designs on this sign were chosen from the Forever Young Cricut Cartridge http://main.cricut.com/shopping/detail-department-Cricut-Forever-Young-Cartridge-0-884.aspx) must add a HUGE shout out to my BFF Jessica for letting me borrow this cartridge. <3

-Mod Podge away

-Drill holes in board, large enough to fit the knobs you choose to attach (this is a Jon Job..I can't operate a power tool if my life depended on it)

-Attach Wire to back of board 

-Knot ribbon all around the attached wire

-Screw knobs on (praying the end won't stick out of the back like mine did..lol. If this happens, grab a pair of bolt cutters and trim..another Jon Job for me. I'd cut my fingers off :)

-Beautiful!!