Day to Day With Mom

I’m sitting here in my home office listening to the rain playing games with me. What is it about rain that makes a person so sleepy? I can’t tell if I’m getting sleepy because I’m so bored or so relaxed, either way I’m so sleepy today I can’t get myself motivated into doing anything.

My daughters are also feeling the mood of the rain. I haven’t had a minute today where I wasn’t fussing at one of them for doing something. I learned a long time ago that having two girls close in age means that I really have to stay alert because not only am out outnumbered but I’m outsmarted! What one child can’t think of the other does and what one child is afraid of doing she will eventually talk the other into doing. Needless to say it’s days like this where I have to find ways to really keep them busy. The rain seems to make their minds go into over time and nothing they think of is in the best interest of themselves, me, our pets, or our house! I get tired of doing the same routine myself sometimes so I guess in a way rainy days give us a reason to have an adventure with our day, that is if I can stay awake long enough to take the adventure!

My girls love to play in the tent outside so on days like this we take sheets and place all over the living room making a tent big enough that both girls and our dog can comfortably play under with toys or pillows to lay on. This is important in having an inside tent because if there isn’t enough room to play or if one toe is able to come out from under the tent someone will get upset and the whole tent is then pulled over with a temper tantrum that I thought could only happened on television.

We spend time reading books, coloring, and playing with play dough. I have to be really careful with each activity because my two year old eats everything, I really believe she’s part billy goat. She will eat a whole book if allowed and crayons don’t stand a chance so when it comes to play dough I use the old homemade recipe for making play dough since it’s eatable. Here are a few of the recipes that I have used over the years, I’m sorry I don’t remember the sites I got these off of but they are safe and have been used for years by mothers.

Peanut-Buddy Play Dough (eatable)

3 1/2 cups Creamy Peanut Butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 cups powdered milk
3 1/2 cups corn syrup
Mix ingredients by hand. Share. Can decorate with sprinkles, M&Ms etc.

Kool Playdough

3 cups Flour
1/2 cups salt
2 Koolaide packages
2 cups Boiling water
Mix dry ingredients together. Add boiling water. Knead on floured board can add flour by sprinkles until desired consistency. This playdough will last for a long time when stored right.

Frosting Playdough (eatable)

My oldest daughter is supposed to start kindergarten next year but since they’ve changed the birthday rule she has to wait another year. I have decided that we will do learning activities for preschool this year and a kindergarten curriculum next year to get her ready. Rainy days are great for these activities because the girls are both so bored they are willing to do anything for fun! I came across a wonderful site full of free worksheets for preschool learning it’s http://www.preschoollearners.com/ and so far it’s great.

So regardless of how tired we are and how bored we are the rain has not won the battle today we are going to play and learn until we can’t take it any more!

Happy Monday! Here it is the beginning of another week. For my family this is the last week before school starts, which makes it one of the busiest weeks. I have already given up on trying to make a plan of meals for the week since it seems that every day something happens where the meal plan gets lost in our hectic schedules. I have decided however that regardless of what I make it needs to be cheap and quick! I came across this recipe on Cafemom, I haven’t made it yet but thought I would share it in case someone wanted to take the venture with me. It really looks delicious and fairly easy to make. My family loves making Tacos hopefully this will make their tummy happy also.

Taco Ring

1lb ground hamburger
Taco seasoning
water

2 cans of crescent rolls

Lettuce
Shredded cheese
Tomatoes
Sour Cream
Re-fried beans
(really anything you would put on a taco)

Brown hamburger, drain. Add taco seasoning and water(whatever it suggests on the package).
On a cookie sheet or stone, lay out the crescent rolls flat, with the small pointed end out, in the shape of a ring or rows (what ever is easier).
Lay seasoned browned meat on top of laid out crescent rolls, sprinkle a little shredded cheese on top. Then take pointed end of crescent roll and pull over to center, to make like a pocket. Do this all the way around.
And put in the oven as long as the creasant roll can says.
Then pull out, cut into serving sizes. And have each person cover with their fav. taco toppings.

Growing up I had my life all planned out, I guess most little girls tend to do that. I pictured myself living in an apartment in New York throughout college.  I wanted a studio apartment with a great few of the city.  I figured I would finish college and become a successful social worker helping abused children get the attention and help that they deserve. 

After college I would move out of my perfect studio apartment into a nice two story house on a huge private lot in the country, I never cared what the house looked like as long as it had a Weeping Willow tree in the corner of the yard where I would sit for hours writing or reading just to take a break during the day. My life was supposed to be perfect, I was going to have the perfect husband falling into place with my career and the kids would then arrive in time.

It’s funny how things change when life takes control of everything. My dreams have become just that… dreams of the past. I had my son at seventeen, attended a community college and decided to drop out with only one semester to go. Money was too tight for me not to be working and I couldn’t do both plus spend time with my son. I found that every time I would try to go back to school whether it was online or on campus there would always be something standing in the way.  I don’t regret my decisions in life nor would I change them instead I would have learned differently from each one and chosen a different path to follow making each decision a step closer to my dreams instead of allowing it to take me further away.

With school approaching faster then I could of imagined we have begun making plans for the first day. I only have one child in school right now which is definitely fine by me! My son will be starting the sixth grade and that thought alone scares me to death. I know he’s going to go through a lot of changes this year, confusion, and aggravation from everywhere he turns. I remember how fitting in with the other kids seemed to become a real issue in the sixth grade which makes me wonder how my son is going to handle the peer pressure versus his knowledge of right from wrong. It’s a scary thought but I knew walking into this whole mother deal that this would be one of the many challenges we’d take together and all I can really do is pray that my baby will listen to his inner voice and follow the right path. If he isn’t in touch with that whole inner voice I hope he hears my voice telling him how I’m going to kill him if he messes up.

Ok so I wouldn’t really kill him of course but exactly where do you go with kids during this time? What do you do to keep them on the right track? As parents we sometimes forget how things were growing up, how hard it was to fit in and the things you would do just to impress other people. Talking to the kids isn’t enough any more it basically goes in one ear and out the other, so where do we go from here? Is this just something that we have to let go of in hopes that the right choices are made or that at least they learn a good lesson from the bad ones? I hate to say that when I think about allowing my son to make his own choices I’m not real sure I’ve pushed the right ones on him enough for him to know how important it is not to take the wrong path. So if he were to decide to do drugs, drink, smoke, or cut class all the time would that be a reflection on how I am as a parent? Does that mean I have failed my son in one way or the other?

I’d like to think that I’ve done the best I can as a mother, a role model, and a friend to my son. I think he’ll make the right decisions, maybe not always but most of the time. I believe when he fails at something or chooses the wrong path he trusts me and our relationship enough to know that he can talk to me about it. As a mom I know that even at eleven years old he sometimes still needs to be hugged and held, I trust that the moments like those will be what keeps him wanting me to be proud of him and in return keeps him on the right path and being proud of himself.

So as the school year starts and my now young man begins his venture on an upgraded level of life I have faith that everything will be just fine. I believe in my son and hope that you will also believe in your kids as they start their first day of school this year. Just remember how hard it is to be their age, the issues they are now facing and trust that you have shown them how much you’ll love them no matter what.

Monday is the day that starts my hectic week off as it does with most people. Monday is my biggest cleaning day since all weekend the kids have had their run of the house and the house tends to look like a tornado has gone through it. If you’re like me it’s also the day you start to plan out your meals for the week or at least what you hope to cook that week. 

Being the busy mom that I am I have found that my best friend is my Crockpot or slow cooker as some prefer. I don’t really know how I managed without it for so long. I remember watching my mom use hers all the time and she in return bought me one, which has been a life saver I must say. I mean really it’s not often you can put food together in the morning and leave it on while you run around doing everything that needs to be done only to have a mouth watering meal waiting for you at the end of the day! It’s truly amazing I tell you!

If you haven’t purchased a Crockpot I would suggest putting it on your next shopping list and for those of you that have jumped on the easy way of life with me I want to share one of my favorite recipes with you. This is a wonderful mouth watering recipe that is great served with bread sticks and a salad. My kids and Fiance can’t get enough of it.

Cheesy Italian Tortellini

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 (15oz) container refrigerated marinara sauce
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (14-1/2oz) can diced tomatoes w/Italian herbs, undrained
1 (9oz) pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 cup shredded mozarella cheese or pizza cheese blend

1. Cook beef and sausage over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.

2. Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix beef mixture, marinara sauce, mushrooms and tomatoes in slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours.

4. Stir in tortellini; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook on low about 15 minutes longer or until tortellini is tender

Here comes another weekend full of work. It looks like I’ll be working ten hours on Saturday instead of doing all the fun activities with the kids. Boy sometimes I wonder if it’s really all worth it.   I guess when I weigh the pros and cons the pros outweigh by a long shot.

I was offered another phone job this week, this one is outbound calling. I’m not really sure how I’ll like it since I’m use to inbound but I’m willing to give it a shot. I often get asked how I manage to add on so many different jobs, exactly where do I find the time to do it all and take care of my kids?

There’s really no simple answer to that question. I’ve learned over the years that in order to be a successful work at home mom I can’t put all my eggs in one basket. At any moment a company can go under and your left with nothing. I have found that it’s important to work hard at making time for my family and fitting in several jobs all at once.  

I guess the best advice it to make sure your kids are busy with something while you work. It’s best to work while little ones are sleeping but that isn’t always possible so you’ll need to have toy, games, movies, books, anything that will keep them occupied for a long period of time.   The catch is that children get bored quickly so make sure daily you are finding them different things to do.

Take breaks often. It’s really important for your kids that you spend time with them while you are working. This not only allows them to have your attention but it also shows them that you have to work but you will return to play with them from time to time. It really gives them something to look forward to.

If you find that it’s just too hard to spend time with your kids and work then I would suggest working only while they sleep or waiting until the kids are a little older. The real reason most parents choose to work from home is to be able to raise their own kids and to spend time with them however most parents lose focus on that once the job starts.  It’s never alright to leave your child unattended for hours upon hours while you work, if you find that you are getting to this point or looking at this as an option you really need to rethink your decision.

I guess all in all my secret is I love the high I get from staying busy. I enjoy being busy all of the time to the point that I feel like I won’t be able to make it another day! My kids are my top priority and my work is what makes sure I can take care of them, so as long as both are getting the attention they need then I’m satisfied with myself and my decision.

I am addicted to groups or forums that are focused on moms. I find that I can spend hours upon hours on such sites. I love meeting new moms and learning new parenting tips. The fact that everyone raises their children differently but all with the same hopes and dreams for their children amazes me.

One of the biggest topics that I see floating around on these groups are questions concerning the development of the children. Many times a mother will write that her daughter or son is a year old and still not talking, they are concerned that because little Fred down the street is taking so well that this observation alone makes their child less developed. 

I am quick to tell anyone that I have three kids which are different in so many ways. My son walked a few days before turning a year old, my middle daughter was walking at seven months, while my youngest didn’t walk until way after a year old. We weren’t sure she would ever walk, but we weren’t worried about her being behind, it was merely that she was content crawling or being toted everywhere. I mean really think about it who wouldn’t rather be toted around then having to actually walk!

My point is this, all kids are different. Just because one child is walking, talking, or even eating solid foods sooner then your child doesn’t mean that your child isn’t developing correctly or quickly enough. There are some things that children should be doing by a certain age but again if your child isn’t doing these things then consult your doctor just to make sure there’s no reason to be concerned. I think the best thing a parent can do is just work with their child to help them get the skills they need. If your child isn’t talking as much as you wish they were then you need to sit down and talk more with your child. Children learn by imitation, if you aren’t showing them how it’s done then how do you expect them to learn? Never base you thoughts or concerns about your child on what’s going on with other children because the truth is your child is special, there will only be one of your child so stop the worrying get to loving your sweet baby.  

I just watched one of my favorite television shows “How to Look Good Naked” with Carson Kressley it is one of the only shows that keeps my attention even during commercials. I really wish the show was in my area because I would be the first in line for it.

In case you haven’t seen the show it airs on Lifetime every Tuesday night at 10:00 pm eastern time. The host is Carson Kressley and he spends an hour (which is a few days in tv land time) showing one woman per show how to go from hating the way she looks to loving herself. He builds their confidence and self image by showing them how to dress for their body type, doing makeup and hair, and allowing them to see that when they look in the mirror they aren’t seeing the beauty that everyone else is seeing. Carson helps these women love who they are and find the beauty that they hold without dieting or plastic surgery, which for me is exactly what I am looking for.

I think most women are happy with themselves but we have stopped focusing on themselves. We get so stuck in the day to day grind that we don’t care about dressing up or putting on makeup. I know I wake up and throw on whatever is clean and comfortable but really it feels so much better to look in the mirror and see myself when I am dressed up with my hair and makeup done, I feel good and I feel like I look good.

The woman on the show tonight was a mom and she said what every mother needs to hear. She said that by feeling better about herself she’s able to be a better mom. That is such a true statement. I know from my own experiences that I tend to stay around the house more because of the way I feel about myself. I don’t like being around a lot of people or going places where I will have to be around other moms because I’m always so self contentious. I hate feeling that way because I’m holding my kids back from doing a lot but I know there are so many other women out there feeling the same exact way, it’s sad that we allow our self image to take over not only our lives but our children’s lives as well.

My mom is constantly telling me that I need to change the way I am because my children are going to grow up to have the same low self esteem that I do and she’s right. It’s really a choice that we have to make, either we sit around allowing our children to follow down the same miserable road we are on or we stand up and be happy with who we are. God made everyone different for a reason so who are we to say that the other woman is prettier than us or that she is perfect and we aren’t? God made all of us into beautiful women but it’s our job to carry that beauty with pride. I’m ready to take that challenge if you are.

The day that I’ve spent my whole summer dreading began this morning at 8am as I watched my eleven year old son walk out the door to his first day of his second year playing football. I don’t like football, it’s not that I don’t like the sport it’s that I don’t like the sport for my son. The same son that I carried for nine months, walked the floors with, cried with, and to this day still have to remind to change his underwear is now starting his “manly” sport.

A sport in which I am reminded constantly is a physical sport, that he will have to get hurt and I am not allowed to punch the kid in the face that just ran over my sons hand with his cleets just because he felt the need to do so no matter how much I really want to make him cry! Now I’m not a violent person but this is my baby out there, I’m the one that knows he isn’t this mean kid that loves to knock everyone down just to get a ball. I am his mother I know that he loves to read books with his sisters, he still loves getting mommy hugs and kisses and still understands that Santa comes every year because he’s been a good boy.

However I am reminded at this time by the way the coach has asked us at least twenty times if we are sure Brandon is playing this year and the way his coach’s eyes shine when we reassure him that Brandon will definitely be there. I am reminded at this point that my eleven year old is the biggest kid on the team, that at eleven he is 149 pounds and stands almost my height which is 5′8. My baby… my young man puts on this football uniform and becomes the toughest football player making way for his team to score points. The child that I still find myself holding until he falls asleep watching cartoons becomes the strength of his team and with every bruise he gets and every tear I cry he also becomes my hero.

I know there are other moms out there that hate this time of the year just as I do, I know that with every game we will all be holding our breath and with every touchdown we will be the loudest and proudest moms in the world. I sure know I will.