Teach Me How to Mommy

Summer Is In The Air! During normal years we are prepping students for final exams and finishing up report cards, all while making a hand-written "Summer Bucket List" to accomplish with our own kids.  But this year I've been focused on preschool concerts, field days and end of the year parties.  Maternity leave has given me so much time with the baby, but also, luckily, time with Lucy and John. You know what maternity is not giving me though?  Money.  I haven't made any money since that measly six weeks of recovery time I received back in January.  So even though it's summer and I do have a list of things I want to do with the kids, we have to be sensible.  Over the past couple of weeks, Amy & I, and our kids, have been researching, checking out locations, picking our work besties brains, and documenting our ideas for summer.  You don't have to be on a budget like us to enjoy these things, but who doesn't love a bargain? 1.  Parks...

She's too high right? Right now the baby needs a helicopter parent.   She needs to be near me at all (or at least most) times.   I don’t have to worry about holding her too much – that’s my job.   I actually should swoop in if someone else is holding her and she’s crying.   She’s mine to feed, snuggle and love.   Period. How freeing. Yet, when your kids begin to change from toddlers who toddle to “big” kids who talk, run and play independently then the waters get a bit murky.   With a five and close-to-four year old, Jerry and I have been trying to figure out what kind of parents we want to be when our kids need us a little less.   Sure we want to be helicopter parents.   We want to know if their feelings are hurt.   We want to be there for all of their big and little accomplishments.   We want to discuss all their academic gains (and flubs) with their teachers.   We want... But we also want them to figure things ou...

Fueled on the adrenaline of having my third baby I powered through the first two weeks of postpartum like a true champion.  Kids need to be brought to school? Yup I'll do it.  Meals need to be prepped and warmed? Yup I'll do it.  Laundry? Cuddles? Reading? Breast feed the baby while doing all the above? Yup, I'm your girl.  What choice do I have anyways? It's not that we didn't have help.  We had plenty and could've had a lot more had I asked.  The truth is I felt great after giving birth.  I was tired, but not exhausted.  My body started healing right away and sure I was uncomfortable, but functional.  Holly Jane even slept for me so each day I felt better and better.  I didn't see a reason for asking for help when I felt capable of doing it all. I guess I can too, but not without a cost. Last Sunday I took the kids to the park because it felt like spring (a balmy 30 degrees).  While there I realized I felt like shit. ...

Ok, well  maybe just don't... Last Thursday I woke up to a snow day (yeaaa) and the stomach bug (booo).  Jerry went off to work and even though I am NEVER like this I was resigned to have a really chill day with the kids.  I let them watch an extra show in the morning and instead of moving from one activity to the next I tried to kind of stay put in one area and have the kids play around me.  Heck I was 39 weeks pregnant, right?  You can't really go outside when the snow is coming in sideways, right?  Everyone deserves a day to just not be "super", right? Well that day was here.  I still made the kids their meals, we ended up doing a fort and we did eventually venture outside and walk to the neighbor's house, but I was working at about a 25% capability level. The only problem is, when it came to 3:30 and my regular one cup of coffee a day ritual, I couldn't stomach it.  I tried three times to sip it and it wouldn't go down.  I knew my ...

It's been awhile since I've written.  I have had lots to write about, but no time.  The holidays often feel like the best marathon I've ever run (I've never run one) you push, push, push until the big day is here.  Then once it's done you need a few days to recover.  Our holiday season was all of that and more.... But last night I took down the Christmas tree.  My parents wanted to take the kids for a sleepover (umm, YES) and instead of going out my husband and I stayed in and did an overhaul of the entire house.  To be fair we did go out on two dates this week, so don't feel bad for us. We had already organized everything, but to be honest every time I started a project this week I would get one step done and then the kids would have created another project (mess) that I'd have to address making me at least ten steps behind my original place. I usually don't take the Christmas stuff down until New Year's (or the day after).  But this year I a...

It didn't dawn on me until this morning that perhaps every member of my family is adjusting differently to the news that there is a baby on his or her way.   I've been so focused on keeping up with the two I have (and a new position at work) that thinking about what happens after the baby actually gets here has not been high on the priority list. Yet I am fresh off a rough week with my youngest and all of a sudden thinking about the future is all I can think about. Sure it's been a tiring week (aren't we all feeling it).  He's also three, which has revealed its own challenges - ones that I am not accustomed to when he was two. But he's also about to be a big brother.  He's been my baby for three years and in less than two months that's going to change - permanently.  I'm a middle child - I know! So last night when he woke up at 2am, crying and moaning I pulled him close to me and placed him gently right in my bed.  He put his arms around me...