In home espianage

The Baby Monitor - Keeping your child safe at night or the ultimate spying tool?

I confess I love to turn it on when Hailey is playing in her room and just listen as she disciplines her dolls, talks about school, imitates her sister etc

last night I overheard this conversation she had with her dolls "You should NEVER EVER bring a water bottle to school, if you do you will go into a black hole in space. First you crack the eggs then you stir it and you stir it but if you bring a water bottle you will go to space"

(poor Hailey wants so bad to be like her big sister and Big Sis gets to bring water to school but Lil Sis is not allowed to bring anything to her school - we keep telling her when she is older and at a different school the rules might change)

She makes up songs and sings them about anything and everything when she is in her room. I need to set a tape recorder in there - she was also singing about books coming to you on Christmas Day last night and it totally cracked me up. "when the books come to you on Christmas day it doesn't matter matter matter because help is on the way when Clifford comes to play" Oh my, I wish I could have caught it all but I am just not a human tape recorder.

And this morning when she woke up she uttered over and over again "UGH, I don't wanna be SIIICK for EVEEEEEER"

I am wondering if I can sneak having monitors in their rooms when they are teens?

Would it be so wrong?

pretending to watch the super bowl

Actually I am watching an almost 60 year old Bruce sing the halftime show, and I did not miss that amazing interception and return just before the half...but since I am secretly rooting for AZ I was hoping it would be recalled. But, honestly I am only half watching - it is fun but I have better things to do right?

Anyway...I had one of "those" days today with the girls. I swear they didn't hear a word I said and ignored me at every turn. But that's OK, because I am a mature adult and I can handle it in style right.

Hmmm, Wrong. I have so many immature mom moments I thought I would share a few with you now. I am "not so proud" but I also know I can not possibly the only one so here goes:

Just a few examples of how immature mothers I can be (never!)

1. I find myself using my own whiney voice to reply back to my whiney toddler.

2. Child one asks "where is my orange juice?" (for the 12th time) and in my head I respond with “up your nose with a rubber hose” and remind myself: "please don't say that one out loud" as I get up to get the 12th cup of juice today

3. I try to lighten the mood by singing ridiculous songs when the kids don’t want what I made for dinner like “were having chicken pot pie and I don’t care, chicken pot pie and I don’t care” sung to jimmy crack corn

4. I allow myself to succumb to a total mom meltdown when my children don’t hustle over the instant I call them…because I know they heard me begging pleading and prodding but they still won’t come. Instead of calmly heading their direction and fetching them, I slam down my pen, stomp across the floor and utter those famous parent words “ARE YOU DEAF?”

5. How about when child two refuses to stop asking for something I have already said NO to at least twenty times. I have, yes, I have said “What part of NO did you not understand”

I know I have MANY more immature mom moments and I honestly wish I could think of them all now but since I can't...I want to hear your favorite immature mom (or dad) moments - come on, don't be shy...I know you have at least one!

Friday, Lovely Friday.

Just as we came home and Lauren knew she was in fact sick even though she tried to ignore it all day this is what she said:

“can I have a wet wipe for my hands and then my computer”

A wet wipe first huh, guess I am always a bit OCD when it comes to someone being sick in my house. I am at my worst when someone is throwing up. I have been known to literally walk around the house with Clorox wipes in both hands so everything I touch gets wiped and I touch nothing.

My poor daughter will be scarred for life – thinking that germs are the death of a house, computer, door handle, flusher, light switch, remote control, telephone, and the list goes on. I am Terra and I have OCD tendencies…just not in all the right places.

The bright side is she is all better already. It seemed to be a 24 hour dizzy/fever bug. There were only 4 kids in her class when I went to pick up her work today so it really took out the class. But they should all be hopping healthy on Monday ready to make up science tests, spelling tests and give I have a dream speeches!

Thanks for all your kind words!

January or June?

January or June? That is my question. It has been unseasonably warm the last couple days and we have been out riding scooters and bikes in the afternoon. Today however, the girls seemed a bit confused.

Notice the snow in the background? The winter appropriate dress an the amazing footwear!

At least Lauren had pants and long sleeves on, but once again notice the foot wear?

And there you have it.

Parenting at it's best.

No one stopped them,

we just let them play;

it won't kill them right?

BUSTED

Busted flat cold. That's what we were. You see for almost two years we have kept up a really great farce around our house. Hailey has been under the impression that everyone goes to bed when she does...especially Lauren...she knew that sometimes mom and dad had things they had to do before they could go to bed...but she certainly thought she and Lauren were off to dream land at the same time each night. It happened quite by accident, but we kept it up as it kept the peace and gave Lauren more quality time with mom and dad (since lil sis was going to bed good and not requiring much attn)

We all knew it wouldn't last. We often wondered how much longer we had. Then tonight, at 7:30 Hailey shows up at the railing and says "Lauren, what are you doing down there?" We all looked at each other and no one said a word...shock...BUSTED. The farce is over.

So I had to go up, explain the age difference and bed time thing, give lots and lots of hugs and hope for the best. Well, the best isn't happening yet...and I have a feeling we are in for it for a couple weeks - but it was nice while it lasted. She has come out a couple times, called for me a couple times MAMA, MAMA....Back to the old Super Nanny Routine soon, I am sure...

Why oh Why did she have to pick this week? Any week other than Christmas would have been fine (not really I still would have whined)

Oh well, we just have to face it. We got busted.

Hailey wants a camera and...

Hailey has a lot of things on her wish list. She wants a Ballet Barre first and foremost, and a microphone stand, and a camera, and radio for her room and a, and a and a...

Then today she pops off with this one in the car

"mom, do you remember when it was summer and you said I could get a butterfly scooter for Christmas?"

Ok, well, um. Yes. I do kind of remember that but honey I don't think they sell scooters when there is snow on the ground.

Yes, I LIED, LIED, LIED. Scooter wasn't on the list, didn't get bought, if we get her one we have to get both one and I don't want to get one because then they are going to want to ride them and I don't want to stand outside in 10 degree weather watching them. I lied.

The other thing she desperately wants is a camera, a real camera all of her own (shhhh Grandma Mary) but since she doesn't have one...I did let her use mine for a few minutes the other day. She did ok. Some of the pictures even turned out. I leave you with these:

How dirty does our carpet look?

OK, the coaster shot was so good, I used it elsewhere!

And the stockings picture is cute too.

Handy Manny!

Oh, I can see a couple little toes!

Going Green - Or Not??

Did you know I actually had a Walgreens store clerk ask me if I wanted to buy one of there canvas bags for $1 and when I declined (because I have my own bags just didn't have them with me) she then proceeded to say "will you be needing a bag for these items then?" meanwhile I had a scattering of about 11 small items on the counter and a toddler securely on my hip, juggling my wallet to find payment and I said "well, yeah - I don't think I can carry these without one" I wish I would have thought quick enough to say "are you going to carry them to my car for me?"

So with all the ads on TV, the initiatives on ballots, the songs on the radio (even Miley has one) and the clerks at the stores begging, pleading and even insisting - just about everyone is trying to go a little more green today than they were in the recent past.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am listening - I get it - and I even believe about 50% of what I hear about global warming and going green...but sometimes and somethings just won't trump convenience for me.

So I ask you NOT what are you doing to contribute the health of our environment but rather what WON'T you give up for the green team?

For me, sadly, My list is rather extensive - but I have my reasons :)

1. Bottled Water (I have tried the brita filters etc. and they are cumbersome, bulky and annoying)

2. Soda in cans - my addiction far supersedes my desire to help global warming

3. Paper Towels - I just can't bring myself to use the same rag to clean the counter where I lay my toothbrush with the rag that just wiped the toilet. Nor can I manage to remember which rag I used for what - and I can't stand the thought of one of these things sitting near my kitchen sink breading bacteria.

4. My Car - though I do try to combine trips more so I drive less

5. Store bought cleaning products - I am far to unmotivated to MAKE my own cleaning supplies and stick to it for more than a week - I mean cleaning is no fun anyway adding more work to it just seems ridiculous.

I do have grocery sacks that I love and try to use whenever I can but I don't bring them into fast trip stores, I did buy some Green cleaning products last time I was at the store but riddle me this one: CLOROX? Green? Hmmmm. We do have energy efficient appliances, we try to keep lights to a minimum and we installed new thermostats to reign in the Heating and Cooling - though that was more for the pocket book than it was for the environment!

Ok - Tag your it...What are you not willing to give up for the green team - at least not yet?

Losing the bed time battle

I will try to start by focusing on some of the positive! Little Miss Hailey has been sleeping through the night, in her undies, fully potty trained for quite some time now. As most of you know she potty trained really young, younger than her sister even. She followed suit to Lauren and refused diapers even at night. She would wake when she needed pee, therefore, sleep and I were not best friends for a long time. Several months ago she began sleeping all night 10 to 12 hours, staying dry and not using the potty till morning. GO HAILEY! Sleep and I got to know each other a little bit again and that was nice.

We have also been blessed with two girls that "put themselves" to sleep. It was often a hard battle but just as often it was not! We have never had them in our bed, nor have we ever slept with them (except the occasional really sick times)

Both girls have blessed us with the all to well known "I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SLEEP" times...and Hailey is in one of those now...She is not napping, she is not falling asleep well and she is not sleeping in to make up for it...and we are talking about staying awake in her room for up to THREE hours - you all know drill...

1 Cup Typical Two Year Old
1 Heaping tablespoon of lack of sleep
a dash of mommy patience running out

put them all together and what do you have? A RECIPE FOR DISASTER!

SO....i know what I am "supposed" to do

I've read all the books

I've watched Super Nanny and Nanny 911

Consulted the Dr. Phil website briefly (only to turn away in disgust)

Dug deep

Called Mom

Cried...

and yet here I sit...at 8:00 at night after at least a dozen trips back upstairs to Hailey's room - finding myself saying SHE IS WINNING. The game is on, it's the fourth quarter and the score is Hailey 12 mom 0. ARGH.

She can climb over the baby gate to leave her room - she is too young to simply say "Go back to bed" and expect that she will do so...SO SHE WINS -

The solution is out there...I think it has something to do with shutting down everything around me, sitting in front of her closed door and promptly, silently leading her back to bed over and over and over again...that will work. But I have to ask myself what if she REALLY DOES have to pee? What if she REALLY DOES have to poop...I can't have her start messing the bed now!!!

So....I can follow the "solution"...and make an exception for the potty right? Hmmm...let me count the trips to the potty. Tonight it was 4 (she did go poop by the way, for the 3rd time today) I swear she can pee and poop on demand.

Well, I suppose it worth a shot right...when all else fails - PUNT.