Parenting

{My} Top 10 Reasons for Changing

Posted by Nat on May 3, 2012 | 5 comments

…..

I need to record exactly why I’m doing this so that when it gets…

• tough
• challenging
• annoying
• and all of the above

I can refer to a list to remind myself why the heck I’m working so hard.  So here goes nothin’:

My Top 10 Reasons for Changing My Eating Habits &

Getting in {KickAss} Shape

10:  So I won’t dread getting on the scale at the doctor anymore (or look away)

This started when I was pregnant with my first.  When the scale crossed 200 I thought, “Holy Jesus, save me!”  As someone who had floated through life easily weighing 120-140, crossing the 200 mark was a harsh wake up.  Yes, I was carrying life, but still.  Ever since then I’ve been in denial about my weight, for whatever reason.  It’s time to just make that number behave!

9:  So I can be proud of myself for doing something challenging

I am really good at getting a project started.  I would receive an A+ for stocking my crafting supplies.  But how many of my projects have I completed?  It takes me forever.  I want to finish this.  Even though I know it will never really be finished, because as we get older we have to work harder- I want to achieve my goal, and then sustain it. Boo yah.

8:  So I can like myself in photos

There’s nothing worse than seeing yourself from any angle that isn’t totally complimentary.  I want to rock full-length photo shots and maybe even do a boudoir photo shoot- THAT would be awesome.

7:  So I can wear some pretty awesome clothes that don’t quite fit right now

I have a small collection of clothes that I LOVE.  Hopefully they will still be relatively in style when they fit again.  I did get rid of a lot of clothes that were too small and out of style, but this little collection- I miss it.  Cute skirts, fun tops- I shall see them again.

6:  So I can look at myself passing in any mirror and say, ‘Check THAT shit out” instead of averting my eyes

I don’t want to walk past a mirror and not love what I see.  We all deserve that.

5:  So I can be confident both inside and out

My confidence has taken a beating in the last year.  “Did I make the right choice- leaving teaching and trying this new adventure?”  “Can I be successful at something besides what I’ve done for the last 12 years?”  It’s easy to lose confidence.  I think knowing I look totally rad would be a nice boost.

4:  So I can shop and not be limited by what looks good on my body type

I hate looking at awesome clothes and thinking, “Nope.  Wouldn’t look good on these hips.”  Or, “Me?  In that?  Nah.”

3:  So I can wear slinky PJs and feel good about it

My husband has been subjected to some pretty heinous sweat pants.  He deserves to see me in something pretty.

2:  For me

I deserve to be healthy, happy, and to live a life that is free of guilt for simple choices like eating and physical fitness.  I deserve health.  We all do.  But we have to maintain it for ourselves- no one else can.  That’s a big lesson I’m learning right now- I am the one in charge of my current condition.  Nobody else.  So if I’m mad, I have to be mad at me.  Nobody else.

1:  For my kids

This is sort of a no-brainer, but really…  I want to be a cool, fun, energetic mother.  I want to play with them, chase them, toss them in the air and tickle them, and keep up with them without killing myself.  I want them to remember me as an active part of their childhood, not just watching from the sidelines.

I want them to be active, too. If I’m sedentary I’m setting the wrong example.

I knew I made the right choice when Anna came out the other day as I was doing a workout video.  As I was attempting some crunches she came in the room.

“What are you doing, Mommy?”

“I’m exercising, Sweet Pea.”

“Why?”

Ah, yes.  Why.

“To be a healthy mommy.”

“Oh.  That’s good!”

Done.

What are your reasons for living a healthy life?  Give me even more motivation!

Children’s Music: A Review!

Posted by Nat on Apr 4, 2012 | Comments Off on Children’s Music: A Review!

Hello friends!

You may or may not know that I was an elementary music teacher not too long ago.  There are many things I don’t miss about teaching, but I do miss having wonderful moments with kids.  They can make you laugh so hard, and seeing their brains light up on a daily basis is always fun.

Recently I was sent a copy of a CD for kids called “Be Happy: Fun Music for Fun Kids.”  This CD is associated with  Positively Kids.  I absolutely love the message this CD brings to children.  It actually is a reminder for me in my daily living to “keep it happy,” something I’m working all year (and hopefully beyond that, too).

On “Be Happy,” we are introduced to Captain Positive, an adorable dog, who helps children laugh their way to a better mood and choose to be happy.  Fourteen tracks, some familiar and some new, lead us down a path of learning to choose our attitudes (and make it a good one!).

When I first received the CD things were too busy for me to give it a focused listen, so I waited.  When I had time to sit down and really listen I was most impressed with the overal uplifting feel of the whole album.  But I knew the real judges would be my kids.

I had clicked around the site and found this video of Captain Positive singing about the things he loved, so I invited the kids to watch it a few days ago.  Needless to say, we watched it five times, I think.  If you take a cute puppet like Captain Positive, a clever song, and then you sing it again really fast:  you have children in the palm of your hand.  We have also listened to the CD in the car and it is a new favorite as we toodle around town.

What I love most about this CD and the people behind it is that they are helping kids learn about their feelings, that it’s okay to have negative ones, and that it’s also up to them to stay in a foul mood or choose a better, more positive one. That’s a valuable lesson for not just children, but all of us.

Well done, Positively Kids!

You can check out Positively Kids on their Facebook Page, Twitter, and Google Plus.

*Note:  I was sent a copy of this CD in exchange for my review; all opinions are expressly my own.

The Messiest Moments…

Posted by Nat on Nov 10, 2011 | Comments Off on The Messiest Moments…

…are the ones that make you laugh hardest after they happen. Am I right, or am I right?

Having a baby brings messes.  There’s just no way around it.  There are many evenings that I marvel at our play room after it’s been cleaned up, and 10 minutes after the kids are awake the following morning, all of our cleaning up is for naught- it’s a mess again.  But that just means they are playing and happy.  And the laundry…oh, the laundry.  There are few moments when I can say “I’m caught up on the laundry.”  As a family of five AND a newborn in the mix, there’s always something to wash.

But all the best stories, it seems, revolve around poop.  Poop puts a whole new spin on every aspect of a story because, well… there’s poop involved.  And it always shows up when you least expect it.

Case in point:  Meet Emily.  I’ve taken to calling her Em. 

 (above photo by my friend, Jenna)

She’s our #3 baby.  The one who completes our family. 

She is delicious.  She smiles, giggles and coos right now more than I remember our other two doing- or perhaps I’m just soaking it up more because I know once she stops I won’t have that in my life in the same way ever again {insert tears here}.

(newborn photo by LifeArt Photography)

She is, essentially a perfect baby.  The first few weeks were rough, but that was more just us getting used to a new baby again, recovering from labor, etc.  She’s so easy.  I can leave her on the floor in her little play bed for long stretches of time.  She grabs her toes, rolls over and is generally cute unless she’s tired or hungry.

(photo by my Dad, with his iPhone)

There’s just one problem.  Emily poops.  Well, every baby poops, so I should preface that with another statement:  Emily doesn’t poop very often, but when she does, it’s explosive.  It’s everywhere.  And it’s always at a really inconvenient time.   Always.

Case in point #1:

My parents were visiting from out of town.  Emily was just about three months old.  We dropped our two older kids, Jack and Anna, off at preschool and headed out to have breakfast at one of our favorite local places, the Hash House A-Go-Go.  Amazing food.  Great location.  Amazing food.  Did I mention the amazing food?  My husband went in late to work so he could come because we’ve only tried going with kids once and it just wasn’t as fun, so he wanted in on the deliciousness.

We got to Hash House and ordered our food.  Emily slept happily in her car seat and slept through the entire meal- it was awesome.  As we were finishing I looked over at her car seat, which was sideways in the booth, so I couldn’t see in.  I saw her little feet kicking, so I leaned over and popped her pacifier back in her mouth.  Seconds later I saw it fly out of her mouth and her feet gyrating and I realized, “Oh dear.  It’s the move.”  That move they do when they are uncomfortable.

I stood up and went over to look at her more closely and then I saw it.  Emily was wiggling and squirming because she was swimming in a sea of her own poop.  It was everywhere.  And if you’re thinking, “Oh, it couldn’t have been that bad,” let me tell you:  I could have ladled the stuff out of the seat.  Ladle.   I looked at my mom and we headed to the bathroom.  We were in there for about 15 minutes.  I had to throw her clothes away, and there was definitely poop in her hair.  Definitely.  Later, when we got home, I had to completely disassemble her car seat so I could sanitize it with wipes and wash all fabric contents.  There was even poop in the car seat base which means…. it LEAKED THROUGH THE SEAT.  It was, in a word, disgusting.  I know, I know- infant breast milk poop is not that bad, but it’s still POOP.

Case in point #2:

We went to the library just a few days ago.  As I put Emily in my Ergo carrier (love the Ergo!) and got ready to buckle her in, I could smell it.  She hadn’t pooped for 3 days.  I knew it was coming.  But at the library?  Really?!   I undid the Ergo, but it was too late.  Stain on the Ergo.  Emily looked at me with those blue eyes as if to say, “I feel sooooo much better.”  Lovely.  I had to change her on the floor of our Odyssey, and I used about half a pack of baby wipes.  I’m sure there is poop on the floor of our van somewhere.  There has to be.  But the real kicker of this particular story?  I forgot about the stain on the Ergo.   So the next day, as I’m in a public place getting ready to strap her in, I see it- that mustardy-yellowy-brownish color.  “What’s that?” I asked myself.  “Oh, right.  It’s a poop stain.”  Lovely.  “Hey everyone, check out my nice Ergo, complete with… poop stain.”

I love you, Emily.  I love you with every ounce of my being.  You are wonderful.  I do not, however, love your poop.

Love,

Mommy

I received information about Clorox’s Bleach It Away campaign and am sharing my messy moment for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls. To learn more about the messy moment program, check out www.BleachItAway.com.  Sharing your story on the Clorox fan page gets you entered for the chance to win $25,000 and daily prizes, and you can grab a coupon for Clorox® Regular Bleach.

Toys Every Boy Should Have

Posted by Nat on Oct 25, 2011 | 3 comments

I grew up with all girls.  I have two older sisters, and four cousins- all girls.  My only male relatives growing up were my dad, my two grandpas, and my two uncles. Lots of double-x chromosomes running around.  Therefore I am clueless as to what to get my little boy as he grows up.  I know, I know- it’ll come to me, but still- I’m a list person.

Some disclaimers:

• I am NOT getting paid for this list.  I’m doing it for fun.  Like I said, I like lists.
• I am NOT saying that you *should* have any of these toys, or that if you don’t you are totally lame.  These are just ideas.  To each his or her own.   If you don’t want your boy to have guns as toys, totally fine.  I’m still figuring that one out.
• I also think it’s possible and totally fine for boys and girls to cross the gender-line in terms of toys, and vice versa.  We let Jack put on Anna’s costumes.  He can have a pink cup to drink his milk if he wants.   Anna can play with trucks and stuff.  So please don’t take this as a “manly-man toy list and if you disagree you must be a pansy” post.

So I went to my Facebook friends and family and asked them:  “What are the toys every boy should have?”  Jackpot! I got so many great answers, and I wrote them all down (some of them were hilarious).  Thanks, FB friends!  Then I broke their responses into categories.  I’ve listed them below and provided links where necessary.   I hope this is helpful to you, dear friends.  And please– if I left anything out, leave a comment and add to the fun- make the list even better!

The Basics

Miscellaneous things included:

• duct tape
• crayons & paper
• cardboard boxes
• balls
• sticks
• dinosaurs
• wooden blocks
• flashlights
• handheld video games
• keys
• art kits
• sewing kits (fine motor skill development)
• baby doll & stroller (especially if new siblings are on the horizon)
• t-ball set
• golf set
• magnifying glass
• tool bench & tools
• old bikes to take apart and put back together

Things that go:

• cars
• trucks
• trains/wooden train set
• matchbox cars
• fire trucks
• police cars
• ramps & tracks for all things that go

Weapons:

• bows ‘n’ arrows
• fire (this made me laugh!)
• guns
• “any weapon” (direct quote- ha!)

Brand Specific Toys

(These are in no particular order. Some of these I had not heard of, and you’ll be able to tell because I’ll talk about them in case you haven’t either.)

Automoblox

These look uber-cool.  They are also not uber-cheap, so they will have to be gifts for our kids- but MAN they are cool!  Apparently you can mix and match different parts, so if you have 2 or 3, you really have endless possibilities.  There’s also a Parts Department so you can order extra wheels, etc.  Cool!

Legos

Duh.  Legos rock.

Tinker Toys

Anna plays with these already- we need to either sneak them into Jack’s room or just get him his own set.  I’m curious to see if Jack gets any of my husband’s amazing technical brain- Anna has made some pretty amazing things with Tinker Toys.

Imaginext

Fisher Price brands these as the toys to get when your kid is “Pre-Cool”- you don’t want them shooting stuff yet, but they want to feel like they have a really cool toy.  They seem to be just that, but we also don’t have any.  Would love to hear what people think of these!

Hot Wheels

 Of course we’re talking about the cars, but I also have to mention… When I was at BlogHer I got to see a preview of the Hot Wheels Wall Tracks  and they are awesome.  I sort of want Jack to get some so I can play with them…

Anything Star Wars

(I could post a bazillion links for anything Star Wars but then this post would go on forever…)

Transformers

I’m not sure how I feel about these.  I remember them from my childhood and the commercials gave me the heebie-jeebies.  They kind of freak me out.  Thoughts?

Bruder Toys

(Someone actually said “Bruder trucks” in my FB post, but after looking at the website- anything here screams “boy!!!”) These are also not cheap, so for us they will have to come as gifts.  They are extremely authentic looking, and have great reviews on Amazon.

Geo Trax

Made by Fisher-Price, this is sort of a new train track collection, but they have incorporated lots of characters from movies, like Toy Story and Cars. These look pretty cool.  I’d love to hear from anyone who has these, as I’ve been debating about whether it’s really worth it to get a train set like this.

Lincoln Logs

So, there you have it.  Did I miss something?  Is your son’s favorite toy left off of this list- please leave a comment and add it to improve the list!  Or if you have any experience with any of these toys, please post a comment!

What is your “awesome”?

Posted by Nat on Aug 18, 2011 | 2 comments

(Note:  I’ve come to realize that I really like to write, I have a lot in my noggin, and this is a great place to let it all out.  Those of you who have been around a while may have noticed that I changed my tag from “I fully admit I have no idea what I’m doing” to “Life is crazy. Craft it well.”  I’m shifting the focus of my blog to include many things, not just crafting in a literal sense.  I’m trying to craft a wonderful life for myself and my family.  I hope you’ll enjoy reading in weeks and months to come about how we do just that.  Thanks!)

 “I’m not a teacher anymore.” 

This phrase has gone through my head numerous times since May 13th, when I walked out of my classroom and headed to a farewell happy hour.  I was pregnant with Emily and done.  D-O-N-E done.  My doctor wrote the note, and it was as easy as pie to head out the door.  But I wasn’t just leaving for maternity leave.  Weeks prior I turned in a letter of resignation to my administrative office.  I will not be returning next week the way so many colleagues-who-are-now-just-friends will be.  I am now, “Just a mom.”  And that, my friends, is awesome.  For me.  Would it be awesome for you?

My husband and I worked hard to get to the point where we were ready to jump off of the two-income cliff, down to the one-income plateau.   It’s a huge leap for us.  We tried during the 2008-2009 school year to make a go of living on one income.  I took a leave of absence and got to be at home with the kids, but financially we weren’t quite there.  My heart has been at home since the birth of my daughter, Anna, in 2007, so returning to work after a year of doing what fills my heart was hard.  Two years later and we are making the change we’ve both wanted for our family.

It was interesting, though, once we were sure we could and would make the commitment, to hear people’s reactions to the fact that I was leaving my profession behind.

They ranged from disbelief….

“No!  You’re quitting?!”

“Shut up!  For reals?”

“Can you afford it in this economy?”

…to dismay…

“But you’re such a good teacher…”

“When will you come back?”

…to happiness…

“I’m so happy for you!”

“That’s wonderful!”

“Finally!”

There were many more that tore at my heart strings in both good and bad ways- many I’ve since forgotten, but in the moment were at times hard to hear.  Having so many different reactions to my choice to leave was so interesting.  No one’s reaction truly bothered me, they just made me think.  A lot.

It seems like there is a continual debate about what the “right” choice is for women.  One trend is to have a full-fledged career, work long hours, and show our kids that women can have careers just as big and bold as men.  Another seems to be a “back to basics” trend of having the mom give up that second income and stay home- essentially, what I am doing.   Whether they realized it or not, many people displayed their opinions of what the “right” choice is through their reaction to my departure from my teaching career.  It was fascinating.

What is the right choice?   I think the reason that everyone argues about it so much is that there is no one “right answer” and the only thing that’s tried and true about this issue, regardless of you choice, is this:  parenting is hard work.  If you’re doing it right, then you are exhausted at the end of the day, whether you are a “FTWM,” “SAHM” or “WAHM” (or any other acronym that applies to you).  I admire women who are passionate about their careers, love going to work, and manage to still be there for their children.  I equally admire women who give up their careers to be there for every minute of their kids’ lives, whether they are infants, toddlers, or school-aged kids.  We all make the choices that work for us and our families, and some of us don’t even have a choice in the matter.  I hope that we can eventually reach a place where we aren’t judged by whether we stay home, work, or a combination of the two.  I’d rather be judged by the kind of children I’m raising, working a paid job or not.

What do you think?  Is this debate ever going to go away?  Are we ever going to just appreciate our different life choices or will there always be comparison and judgement?  I’d love to hear your experiences and thoughts.