Growing Green, Baby

Well it is officially spring, even if it doesn't feel like it yet. T and I have decided to "fake it 'til we make it". We planted some tomato seeds and are hoping they sprout. T is all excited, though I don't think he knows what we are actually doing. All he knows it that we have to pour water on these things and in his world, that is a good thing.

I decided to do this with him for many reasons. Encouraging local eating, teaching cause and effect (sometimes the ECE in me sneaks out) but the main reason is simply because T loves the garden. He loves flowers and trees and even the bugs and bees. He pretends to pick flowers in books and even on my clothes. So here is a little project for us.

I figure the best case scenario is T loves it and has yummy (for him) tomatoes to eat. The worst case is he losses interest and doesn't want the tomatoes, in which case NaNa wins.

I'll keep you posted on our progress.

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!!

The Bad Wife...?

I think I'm not only a bad wife but maybe an awful wife. No really, I think it might be true. Tonight my husband wasn't feeling well after T jumped on his back. So I was getting T ready for bed and R was having a bath when he started vomiting. Now this is where the bad wife comes in, what did I do? Did I go in and check on my loving, wonderful baby Daddy? NOPE! I turned The Wiggles on, on my iPhone and tuned up the volume, so I couldn't hear him.

Now I did ask him if he was okay, after I was sure he was finished. I'm sorry but it's the one thing I can't deal with. Blood, guts, tears, anything BUT vomit. Just the thought of it turns

my stomach. I know this doesn't really make me an awful wife.....right?! Please say I'm right.....

This post is for the best father, the best friend, the man I fell in love with at 17 and have loved ever since. Thank-you for you. I love you more then I can tell you. You make me a better person and except me, flaws and all.

xoxo

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Worst Idea EVER!

Well it seems that I am raising a little boy who is part human and all monkey. At 18 months old we had to put him into a toddler bed because he could climb out of his crib. It isn't going well to say the least.

Every nap and at bedtime I come upstairs and sit by his bed so that he doesn't just hop down and run to the door to call me. I tried leaving the room and he just screams until naptime is over or until I go to bed, either way that doesn't work. So now I'm that parent sitting on the floor of my child's room until he is sleeping. Don't worry I know this is an awful habit to start but what are my other options? I figure it this way, if

sitting by his bed gets him to fall asleep in his own bed for now I can break this habit down the road.

Today however, this doesn't seem to be working. I am sitting here and he is just playing in his crib beside me. I've tried leaving the room but that didn't help either. Why is my son a monster? Honestly, every time I hear anybody talk about how well their child(ren) sleep, I am so jealous and think, "I hope your next child never sleeps". Awful, right? I don't want to begrudge other people their wonderful, sleepy babies....I just want mine to sleep......please?!

Until the day T starts to sleep well (that day will come, won't it?) I just remind myself that one day he will be a teenager and want to sleep all the time and it will be my turn to wake/keep him up. I am really looking forward to that day.

I know it's bad.....

I have just gotten back from an amazing weekend in Paris with my family. I love traveling with my boys. We have so much fun and I love watching T explore new places. Traveling is something I love and I'm so happy to share it with T.

However, on our way home I always feel really good about myself and my family when I see other families and how hassled they seem. There was one family yelling at their kids in the airport and another Dad getting really pissy with his son getting into the car. I can't help it, I know it's bad but it really does make me feel like a

great parent. Now don't get me wrong, I get annoyed with T and with R but the traveling doesn't stress me out. Coming home makes me sad our vacation is over but we always seem like a closer family after spending time together. Seeing other parents, who frankly don't seem to be enjoying their family at all, makes me value my family even more.

So thanks to the stressed out traveling families for helping me appreciate my family even more.

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........

Becoming Domestic

It's official, I am a housewife....well all except for the actually being married part. I have spent the night watching Desperate Housewives while doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen and baking bread from scratch. When did I become this woman? Not that I'm complaining, I love it.

I received two cookbooks for Christmas (and was over the moon) and bought two more right after. I have been cooking up a storm. My favourite book has been Quinoa. You guessed it, it's all about quinoa and more delicious then I could have thought. My favourite recipe in it has been for Apple Strudel Breakfast Cereal. The best part about it is not only do I love it, T loves it too. My boys are reaping the benefits of my newly discovered domestic side, and I'd say they are happy about it.

This started as just curiosity and just general interest but turns out, I'm hooked. I love being able to make something from scratch and then share that with the people I love. I started with basic meals, things that sounded good and thought, "I could make that". So I did. Now I have moved on to something that slightly scares me, bread. I think I can do it BUT it's daunting. I'm not sure why but I'm worried it won't turn out. I promises you this much, if it doesn't turn out this time I will keep trying....but I may not tell you that it didn't work.

This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship