Mothership Confessional

Today was one of those "mom days" where everything seems to be under control and going well. It was one of those days where you have little victories with your kid, so you start to feel like an awesome mom. Like, "yeah, I've got this!" Like Mary freakin' Poppins. And then the next thing you know, all your success comes crashing down and you feel like the sticky gum on the underside of a shoe. Motherhood is funny like that. Your day can literally turn on a dime. It's sooooooo  funny. (that's sarcasm, btw.) Here's my story. Read on, because I know  you'll relate!! This morning was like any other morning, the usual sleep-til-my-kids-wake-me-up-because-hubby-is-out-of-town with a little okay-okay-I'll-get-your-breakfast-going and then some alright-go-play-or-watch-a-show-or-whatever. Pretty standard morning over here lately. We had a music class to go to at the library, so I went upstairs to get myself ready. I needed a s...

I'm trying to get my life together (I feel like I'm always saying this!) and I've come up with a summer schedule for my 2 and 3 year old! I wanted a schedule that allows for lots of playtime and exploration in a laid back, no pressure kind of way. I didn't want to be on a specific timeline, so I only chose a few things that require a specific time commitment. The rest of our schedule is on our terms! This is the first summer that I feel like I'm ready for something structured. My kids are 19 months apart, and my youngest is now about 2.5 and I'm not tied down with needing to breastfeed a baby or rushing home for nap times (car naps are the WORST!!). I'm still pretty rigid with nap times, but they are old enough that we can be a little more flexible and it's not that big of a deal anymore. Last summer, my husband was deployed, so trying to do things by myself all the time with a 1 and 2 year old was truly a struggle some days. So I am READY to embrace a...

I spent several hours DEALING WITH MY KIDS' TOYS the other day. I like to rotate their toys, but I haven't done it in several months, and it was way overdue! I'm going to tell you WHAT toy rotation is, HOW to do it, and WHY you should do it! Kids have a lot of toys, and it seems like they never seem to play with all of them and there's never enough space to organize them! With toy rotation, you put at least half  of the toys away, and rotate them out every so often. This controls the mess (to a degree), creates new interest in old or forgotten toys (maybe because all the toys can actually be seen ), and makes for a happier, cleaner home! A lot of my personal struggle with toy rotation is simply the logistics  of it. You'll need to have space to store toys where the kids cannot access them. This could be a closet, basement, a room away from the usual play area(s), or even a locked cabinet. Storage space is something a lot of us struggle with, I think! And oft...

Welcome to my Let's Play! series!! My first "official" post is going to be kind of a summary on my feelings on why telling your child "Let's Play!" is so important! So what is "play" and why is it so important, anyway? Playtime for kids is a HOT topic lately. There are some big stories floating around about it - have you seen the one about schools that are doubling/tripling recess times and seeing improvements in students' work because of it? Playtime for our kids is complete freedom.  Open-ended activites where they can make their own choices and interact with their peers under their own choosing. Playtime is where children's minds can rehearse favorite activites, explore new possibilites, and foster friendships and find commonalities with peers. It's a lot of self-discovery and learning about their environment! It's where they explore "what happens if..." and learn the positive and negative consequences of th...

You know, it's really hard to find toys for the child who falls between baby toys that light up and twinkle, and little doll playsets and Legos. What about that 2 year old who isn't a baby anymore but isn't ready for "big kid" toys? Toddlers. Have you met a toddler?! They change their minds constantly  and can be quite destructive! I always struggle with "do I buy Ava cheap toys so if/when she destroys it, it's not a big deal" or "do I buy more expensive, quality toys that will last but risk wasting money if she plays with it twice and decides she doesn't like it". I figured I can't be the only parent who feels this way! We all want our kids to have meaningful experiences with their toys. I'm always on the hunt for just the right toys  that have educational value while also maintaining the feeling of "fun". And especially for that tricky 2 year old...most toys say 3+  or 5+  because they co...

I've been wanting to do this for a long, long  time, and there's never been a better time to do it than NOW!! We are moving in a few days and I am in serious purge mode! I knew that if I didn't tackle this DIY project before the move that it wouldn't happen at all. And then I would be sad and regretful that I didn't get it done! So here's what you'll need: -old, expired, or unused make-up containers  -old nail polish We all have old make-up lying around. Or make-up that you think  you'll use again, buuuuut you never do! Most make-up expires in a year or less, especially eye make-up ! I had a friend in high school who used some of her mom's old eye make-up and ended up with an eye infection. So go dig around in your make-up stash for some things you can upcycle into a fun toy for a little girl in your life! Oh, and it doesn't have to be  old nail polish; that's just what I had! Old, separated, nail polish in a forgotte...

Phew! These last few days with Ava have been little more challenging. We have switched her, cold turkey, to a 1-nap-a-day schedule...and she's a little overtired! She used to nap at 9:30 and 2, and it was taking her an hour or more to fall asleep at her afternoon nap and sometimes she would even skip one of her naps entirely! I felt like 13 months was a little  early to make that switch, but she's always been an alert kid and napping hasn't always come easily for her, so it didn't surprise me too much that she was trying to tell me she's ready for just one nap! She's pretty tired in the mornings, so I've been needing to keep her busy to distract her from being sleepy. We took trips to the park, and I made sure to have new things for her to do. It's been going a little bit better each day, except last night she had a big meltdown for no other reason that we could figure out besides the fact that she was ready for bed. I think we are going to move up bed...

I've been feeling rather disappointed in myself lately that I haven't done more hands-on activities with Ava. I am a preschool teacher after all, and I have an enormous  arsenal of ideas for early education! For whatever reason, I just haven't been able to get my butt in gear to plan a few fun activities for my girl!  Ok, well I am pregnant, so I guess that is a reason! I'm in the midst of 1st trimester exhaustion! Ava is nearing 13 months so there are still a lot of activities she is still a bit too young for, but there is no reason I can't start introducing new concepts. Babies love to learn new things! And since this weather has been so hot lately, we are both needing something new and fun to do. For this project, it is 100% MESS-FREE and so, so simple! The materials you need are: Paint, any kind, any color (I had just plain ole washable kids paint on hand) Clear packing tape 1 Ziploc bag, gallon size (I would recommend the durable freeze...

I have always had an eye for creating fun things for kids as a preschool teacher, and now that I am a mommy, I have been anxiously awaiting Ava to "come of age" for some DIY toys from household items! We recently emptied a roll of paper towels, and my instinct was to just throw the empty roll away.  But I stopped myself. What can I make with this? A baby rainstick! It's not fancy by any means, but my baby loves it! Here's What You'll Need: Empty paper towel roll (or a toilet paper roll) Clear packing tape Jingle bells (or other fillers - see below) Tissue paper Here's What to Do: Begin by taping one end of the paper roll closed. You will want to fold the tape over itself so the items inside won't stick to the tape. Tape well so the contents will not come out. Fill your paper roll with the jingle bells. And by fill, I mean toss a few in . There really doesn't need to be that many "noisemakers" in there...