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...

Just when you think you've got it all together.... Your son comes to tell you that there is poop on the floor.  So even though he's been potty trained for a nearly a year and ASKS for privacy when he goes, there are still mishaps.  Like, well this: He was such an easy kid to potty train...a few skittles here, a few there and BAM, bye bye diapers.  Yet, he has his quirks.  For instance, I am not sure why his own private potty ended up getting flipped over, but I do know that he was in there building a fortress with toilet paper.  It's what he does - I don't know, I tend to think it's creative and not destructive. I think my mistake was loading up the shelf with fresh new rolls (I did that at 7am).  It was all just too exciting for him. And so even though this was the first day in history that both children slept until 8am allowing me to deep clean the bathroom (again at 7am) I was right back at it at 11am. Please remind me of this as I have a ...

Well, we've waited for it all year.  It's finally come!  It's Mother's Day! Even if Mother's Day means that the craft your kid made you at daycare has already broken and the outdoor barbecue you planned for your family will be slightly ruined tainted by pouring rain, it's still "our day." On Friday, I finished up a year long relationship with a student teacher.  The experience was such a positive one that I held back tears when I said, "good-bye" to her.  She helped me with all the taxing things that go on behind the scenes - grading, planning, copying, organizing, cleaning and the ever important report cards.  Beyond that, she became such an energetic and kind presence in my room.  She is a friend now and I will miss her dearly. She left me with a gift, that in her words, "defines who I am." I never received any of these "knit" things in my life.  I've always liked them, but isn't it kind of a lost ar...

So this week my three year old turned four and my two year old got bunk beds.  No exaggeration there, it's just how my week is going.  Lucy was once three and now she's four.  Rather, she was once a baby in my arms and now she's a running, jumping, flipping, dancing, chatting four year old.  It's hard accepting the inevitable, but I think it's going to be a magical age. Right and so sometimes you mention to your father-in-law that having bunkbeds would be so fun for his grandson.  Then sometimes that same father in-law digs out his own son's bunkbeds from the early 1990s.  He then refurbishes and delivers them shiny, new and sturdy... They are awesome and we are so lucky.  I thought it would take some adjustment for John.  You know, still yearning for his crib - not yet ready for a true big boy's bed.  Yet for five nights straight he's slept cozily in his bunkbed cave.  His crib has been cast aside and serves him only as a ...

Ok, well that's an exaggeration.  No actually wait, I was pushed, just not with a lot of force. I was out getting a coffee, sans kids. It's been so long that I've been solo that I actually went inside.  What a luxury it was to look at the menu and take my time making my coffee just the way I wanted it.  Anyways, while I was waiting a little girl walked in front of me - on a wet floor - and slipped right on her behind.  She wasn't hurt, but she looked startled and literally couldn't get up.  My mom instincts kicked right in and went down asking her if she was ok.  I used my own arm to help her up.  This took maybe 20 seconds. I didn't notice her mom at first, I guess she was at my side.  In reaction to my assistance the other mother pushed my arm away and said "thank you" in a way that I understood meant "get your hands off my daughter."  It was all so quick I didn't have a reaction, but I left feeling really embarrassed.  I kno...

Seems like it's been a long January, no? It could be the cold (although it's hard to complain this year) or maybe it's just the political climate.  Either way getting through the winter can sometimes be a challenge.  Personally, I've had my fill and I've got my eyes on summer, but I'm also in touch with reality.  So instead of dwelling on things I cannot control, I'd rather talk about things that have made January wonderful. 1.  Strangers - It's not what it seems.  My favorite podcast, Strangers , has been killing it this month.  All the stories are true, but not all are happy.  Yet, somehow putting in my earbuds and listening to them makes grocery shopping at 9pm on Friday just that much less painful.  If you can, listen to "Wouldn't it be Nice" and "Two Men and a Baby".  They both filled me with positivity about the human race. 2. This is Us - Need I say more?  All my students know my favorite kind of movie is the kin...

Yesterday, I fixed the garbage disposal (which I also broke, but that's not important), I also planted a tree (which Jerry says is bound to die) and then soothed a broken-hearted little boy.  So thankful for this day off. If this garbage disposal really broke then it would be the second I broke in four years - not a good record.  So even though Jerry was pretty much resigned to the fact that the thing was done, I took another look.  Yes, I fixed a garbage disposal while two toddlers ate breakfast (and yes my life and pride depended on it). After some research (one youtube video) and my husband telling me it would never work - I took my kids outside in the middle of January and planted a tree.  More specifically, I replanted our beautiful Christmas tree.   On the outside I am playing it cool - if it dies at least I tried.  Inside?  Inside I am begging mother nature to give me this one. Today I had some playdates set for my kids.  Both of t...

This week (or at least the start of it) I found myself slightly less busy than other weeks. For me, this meant one day away from school at a training and days when I took my lunch period to spring clean my classroom and make phone calls for the kids (as opposed to scarfing down food and grading).  I was still up way too late and technically it was a 5 day work week (haven't had that in awhile), but the pace was just a bit slower. I guess anything is less chaotic when compared to Christmas. I started to feel a bit more "together" and less frazzled, which lead to a decision I don't usually make.  When I make it to Thursday I always breathe a breath of fresh air.  It's the last daycare day of the week and on Friday my mother-in law comes to us and spoils the kids.   So when one of my students asked me if I could watch him perform at the "open mic spoken word" show after school I said yes.  I always leave as soon as I can (which is always later than I w...

Christmas was magical in every way.  The cookies, late night bedtimes, parties, Santa and presents (oh my the presents).  The last four days have been a whirlwind.  We (gladly) lost any sense of schedule and we bop from one new toy to the next (and back again and then to something new and then back to the beginning - or the ever popular "let's open something new").  As soon as Jerry and I get the house "cleaned" it's back to a tornado, yet we haven't given up. We will never give up. It does get more fun every year, so (as we all know) it's worth the extra work it takes to make it right.  Yet, when I came up on this saying on my Insta, I thought yes, yes, yes.  Christmas is over so now what ?  Like, what day is it?  And how many days do I have left on this vacation? Am I supposed to be somewhere right now? A couple months ago I had planned to paint Lucy's room and the bathroom over vacation.  Seeing as though I haven't gotten th...

Like everyone else on the planet Amy and I are trying so hard to adjust to the school schedule that we  almost missed the fact that today is our One-Year Blogiversary! One year ago (today) we took the plunge and started this thing.  Throughout this year we have learned a lot about each other and also our "fans".  We are different, but the same.  We love our kids with our whole hearts and we make a lot of mistakes.  We are way too hard on ourselves, but we are also doing a pretty job of enjoying this chaotic time in our lives.  We are moms doing our best.  We are all living it, Amy and I just write about it. Doing this blog is an extra thing on our to-do list, but it's become a necessity.  It's added a whole new layer to our friendship and it is a major source of stress relief (a rewarding one at that).  We plan to continue forever.  Yes, that's right this will live on and on and on.  How else will we survive these turbule...

Amy and I are not saying good-bye to summer just yet.   We will do that in video form later on, yet the time has come for one of us to return to work (and that’s me).   ·                  So while my husband is downstairs in the basement with a bunch of men creating fantasy football teams (no seriously, it’s what I am currently dealing with), I am reflecting on the best summer of my life.   Much of it was chronicled on the blog and I don’t want to be redundant.   There’s plenty I didn’t do, but I also don’t feel like talking about that either. ·              Instead I am choosing to attempt to permanently etch this summer into my brain.  The two thousand +  pictures I have help a lot.  I am choosing to let them run over and over in my mind while I sit through endless meetings tomorrow.  I am choosing to get excited to see my co-workers ...

I know it's important to "make the time".  I've been working on it all summer.  But what if time is kind of running out (or at least running low). Recently anyone I come in contact with asks the big question "When is baby number three coming?" Wait, just joking (no one EVER asks that).  It's: "When do you go back?" It's soon ok.  It's Monday.  It hurts when I have to talk about it, but thanks for asking. Instead of wallowing, I've been squeezing every good minute out of this week.  We've done lots of fun stuff and then also some regular stuff, but we've done it all together.  I've noticed that Lucy has gotten just a bit more special attention this week because of the nature of some of my errands (haircuts, etc.).  So, on this night I told Jerry I was taking out our son and we would be back when we would be back.  I said bye to my favorite girl and headed out with no plan. We just ended up at the park, a perf...

My temporary-stay-at-home mom status this summer has been an adventure.  We are currently doing the beach life thing and it is equal parts amazing and tiring.  No complaints here, but I am allowed to yawn right?  Anyways, before we left I got to thinking that much of my identity is tied to the fact that I live with, care for and am attached to two toddlers 24/7.  In case anyone didn't know, I've compiled a list of tell-tale signs. 1.  If you get peed on you just keep going.  This weekend we went to Lake Compounce and while waiting in line for the merry-go-round John peed on me.  Yes, he was wearing a diaper - No I have no clue why it came out more like a flood and less like a stream.  I didn't bring a change of clothes (for me) and they still wanted to go on rides.  What's a mom to do?  Shut up, air dry and keep on trucking. (Sidenote - I didn't even end up showering until 10 that night, oh well). 2. My phone tells me every night my...

This picture doesn't represent his usual state, but for some reason I love it.  Lucy and I tried to trick him by getting him all sleepy in the car and then transferring him into his crib at Memere's.  15 minutes later he woke up and didn't know where he was.  Since I was in the pool it took a few minutes to get to him.  When I walked in the look on his eyes was of pure devastation.  It was as if I had given him up for adoption and his new family hated him.  He was sad and angry and it didn't let up for awhile.  It was sad, but kind of funny. I talk a lot about how different my two children are.  Often, I realize that it insinuates that Lucy is somehow easier than John.  She always slept better, she appears to need me less and (with the exception of a few brief phases) she listens and wants to be good.  I could say the same about John on many days, but he does seem to need and want me a bit more than Lucy - he always has.  He can b...

Today I had just enough time to watch a grocery cart swiftly crash into my car.  Technically I had more than enough time to stop it.  In fact, it was kind of walking parallel to me, but then picked up speed and SMASH. The reason I couldn't stop it (even though it was bright green and headed for my shiny black car) was because I was holding 5 bags of groceries and two little people's hands. I went to the local grocery market so that the kids could both get their little carts and make a quick stop fun.  Ok fine, quick stops don't happen anymore, but they did have fun. I didn't want them bringing the carts in the parking lot, because that would be a disaster (both managed to tip them over in the store a total of three times). So I thought I could grab it all.  I didn't anticipate Lucy wanting to hold my left hand.  It was a really big deal to have the left hand - you know that one I had carefully balanced all the groceries on so I was frazzled when we walked ...

Bachelorette on far right! In a few days Amy and I (and others) are escaping to the Cape for a girl's weekend.  Let's call it what it is a bachelorette party ! We are celebrating an amazing friend, one who we've known for well over 20 years.  A fellow girl scout who is truly selfless - beautiful in every way imaginable.  We are hoping some giggles and booze will help the memories, stories and squabbles surface in fits of dance and instagram posts. I've been excited for this for a long time, but it just dawned on me tonight that it will be the first time that I will be away from kids by myself.  The few times I've been away (for weddings or dates) Jerry has always accompanied me.  We were in it together.  We missed them together and had fun together.  Once when I cried, Jerry told me how much I deserved a night away.  He was right and I tried really hard to have fun (and I did!). Jerry will be great.  Maybe part of him is glad to have ...