A Day for Mamma

Somedays in our lives are about T....well most days are about T but that isn't the point. Somedays are about T, some R and somedays are all about ME! Today is one of those days. I have had a great mummy day. No, nothing exciting. No spa or mani/pedi or even a hair cut. It was just a great day.

My mum came to visit in the morning, so that occupied T all morning. Then after lunch and a nap T played with his uncle and then his other

grandparents. I enjoyed watching them play and some sunshine. Then this evening I enjoyed a MNO (mums night out). R took T out for dinner while I had a delicious glass of wine and got ready for dinner.

Today was the kind of day you want/need sometimes. A day where you

remember what you were like BC (before children). I felt like my old self today and loved it. Tonight especially, I felt like the 20-something girl I use to be. Getting

ready for a night on the town. A night of dinner and drinks, the only thing missing was dancing.

I feel younger then I have in awhile and must remember to do this

for myself again.....soon.

This mamma says, treat yourself to a night out once and awhile. It makes all the difference.

Real Mums

This is a shout out to all the REAL mums out there. I'm talking about the mums who are honest about motherhood and about their children. I am so lucky to have many mummy friends who fall into this category but I know that is not the case for everybody.

I have met the competitive mothers. The ones who were right pack to their pre-pregnancy weight within days of their baby's birth. They are the same mums who bragged about their babies sleeping through the night by 3 months and are talking (full sentences, of course) before a year. In my humble opinion they are the mothers that lie! I can't get my hear around what these women are getting out of these.....half truths...?....These women are making others feel bad about not only themselves but other children as well.......

Oh shit, I digress. This post is NOT about the competitive mums or any other type of mums. This is about the real mums. I love having mummy friends that I can be real with. Mums that say they are tired. Mums who, when I visit their house, it looks similar to my own. I don't mean by design or decoration here. I mean there are toys out and maybe some stuff on the floor or some dishes in the sink. These mums are open and honest about their children and themselves. I don't mean self-deprecating just truthful. They don't make you feel bad about yourself as a mother (or wife for that matter). They are supportive and encouraging. These mums make you feel normal. Motherhood is hard, why deny that?

We mothers all need to realize that nobody (except maybe for ourself) expects us to be perfect. Admitting it's hard work will make you realize you are not alone. It takes a stronger person to ask for help then to suffer through it alone. I know I can ask any of my mummy (and non-mummy) friends and they will help me out in a second. If you can't say that is true for you, you may want to reevaluate your friendships. You don't need to compete. There is no such thing as a perfect mother. You can only be the best you can be and believe me, your children will love you just as you are.

So to all the mums out there who admit their tired, that parenting is hard work and that sometimes they need "me" time. Who say their kids aren't perfect but they are perfect for me....

THANK-YOU!!

Must Get More Organized

I love organization! I love files and sticky tabs and clips and folders and anything else that helps me be organized.......Well I did. In that magical time I call BT (before T) when I had time to be organized. I was a teacher in my former life so organization was key. Now I can't even manage to print pictures never mind actually get them into albums or frames. You can see my former skills in action when I do laundry. I fold and sort clothes according to who then belong to, what they are (i.e. shirt, pants, etc.) and what order they go on. Sounds crazy but it does make getting T dressed much easier.

Today T and I spend 2+ hours at our local Starbucks uploading pictures to be printed. I can't believe it took so long. Poor baby was so patient waiting for me to finish....Good thing they have food there to keep him entertained. But all this adds up to the fact that I will soon have a massive pile of pictures to sort and put away. Wish me luck people.

Does anybody out there really manage to have kids and stay organized or it more a fake it 'til you make it kind of thing? Am I being unrealistic that I will be on top of things again one day? I don't see how it's going to get any easier as we are talking of more kids (yes plural) but it seems like it's only going to be more and more necessary.

Any tips? or are al the organized mums keeping that to themselves........

Wow I realize I may be the worst blogger ever! No really, how long has it been since my last post? I think it's over a month, maybe getting close to two. Sorry folks.

This Mamma has been very run down lately. T has been sick and teething, for what feels like forever, and last week I finally got his cold. Needless to say we are keeping the tissue companies in business right now.

The other new and oh so exciting development here is the early on set of toddler behaviours. I know T is almost a toddler so I shouldn't be surprised...but I was really hoping they would hold off a bit longer. You know in lieu of never being a great sleeper, I wouldn't have to deal with tantrums so soon. That is obviously not my luck. So now I have a 14 month old throwing fits, with fake crying and all, when he doesn't get his own way. The worst seems to be at mealtime when I outrageously, expect T to eat his food and he wants to play with it...or more accurately, in it. I know we will get through this but for now it's timeouts and mamma trying to stay calm.

To all the Mamma's out there, Breath

You're STILL Breastfeeding?!?!

So as you know T just turned one and here's my big scandal....I'm still breastfeeding and don't plan on weaning anytime soon.....shocking I know. I believe in breastfeeding. I believe that I am doing what is best for my son. I believe that while my son could go on cow's milk now, breast milk is still best. Now that's not to say I won't give him cow's milk from time to time or that I think cow's milk is bad. It's just that for now it's still the breast for T.

I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but it doesn't mean I want to hear it. I'm always surprised when people I don't know voice their opinion on anything I do, especially concerning my son. I don't think I'd ever go up to a stranger and give them my two cents on what they are doing. Who am I to them? What do they care how I feel? What do I care? I find it doubly surprising when a man comes up to me to give me his opinion on breastfeeding. You don't even have breasts.

Personally I am prepared for people and their comments, especially as T is getting so big. I know people feel strongly about breastfeeding (both for and against) but the way people talk about it, you'd think the act was endangering the child.

So if anyone out there sees my nursing T, just keep quiet. I don't need to know your opinion about it, just as you don't need to know mine about sex in public.

Update on Birthday Cake

Now, really this is becoming an obsession. What am I going to obsesses about after the party?! So the update is.....the cake is delicious.....If I do say so myself. The cake was moist and not too sweet (even though there is more sugar then flour.....bad for a baby's birthday?) And the icing was even better! Although I think it needs more PB and less butter. So now I have to think about how to decorate the cupcakes for the party and the cake at home. I would like to find some animals to put on them since T loves animals. I wonder if I can find little elephants?

Although, I must admit having to (or feeling like I have to) bake a cake is not a real hardship. Especially, since it turned out well.

Now since T is still sleeping I think I am going to go have a slice of cake now......purely to make sure it's still okay....I'm just being a good mum

Birthday countdown: 9 days

Why is it I feel the need to make an elaborate cake for T's first birthday? I mean he's not going to remember it and all is guest are babies too. Oh motherhood, what have you done to me? In fact why do I want to make the cake at all. I guess it seems like a gesture of love or something because there is this overwhelming feeling telling me to make an amazing cake. So much so that I am looking for the perfect recipe so that I can do a practice cake before his actual birthday.....wouldn't want his first birthday to lead to food poisoning.....not that I'm a bad cook. Now in the land of motherhood there is this overriding desire to be perfect. To make the birthday cake from scratch (though I never do for R or anybody else for that matter and probably never will again for T) and smile the whole time claiming, "it was nothing". Becoming a mother seems to have made that small irrational part of my brain the dominating force. When the rest of my brain is screaming, "You're CRAZY lady!!! You don't need to do this! It's OK" the dominating crazy part says, "oh yes you do need to do this. It's nice. Try it, you'll like it, it's good for you........It's good for T".

Seriously, somebody needs to have a chat with that irrational side and tell that Bitch to back off!