He's Home!

Chad just got back from a 5-day business trip to Texas.

These are some highlights from while he was gone.

Missed Days 1 & 2? Check them out here!

Missed Days 3 & 4? Check them out here!

~Day 5~

The boys sleep in again today. But this time they actually sleep in. Until 8:45am! I feel like Super Mom. Maybe Chad should go away more often! Ok, maybe not. Things have gone much better than I expected, but I am definitely ready for him to get home.

The boys are still in their PJs at 11am, so I think it's safe to say we're not going anywhere this morning. We all need some down time after our busy few days.

Alec has his last swimming lesson tonight, so I have one more mission to accomplish before my week as a single parent is over. Fortunately Chad's mom is coming over to watch Chase while I take Alec to his lesson.



Alec enjoying his last swimming lesson for this year

Swimming goes well. We get home, have dinner and get ready for bath. Chad is usually the one who does bathtime with the boys, so giving them baths this week has been somewhat of an unfamiliar experience for me. Sure I've given them baths before, but I don't do it very often. I come out of the bathroom feeling like I have just lost a big battle with a garden hose.

I get the boys in bed around 8pm, and the countdown begins. Chad's plane is scheduled to get in at 11pm, so he should be home around midnight. I realize there is no way I am going to be able to stay awake for four hours. I settle in to spend some quality time catching up on my DVR'd episodes of The Bachelorette.



My guilty pleasure

While I am watching 13 guys produce more drama than a room full of PMSing teenage girls, I notice a faint smell. It is a pleasant smell, but I can't place it. I dismiss it and continue to watch the 13 men fight for Emily's "true love." A little while later I notice the same pleasant smell again, but I still can't place it. It's almost like a candle, but not as strong. I make it through one episode of man drama and decide I've had enough drama for one night. I head up to bed.

When I get up to my room, I notice that smell again and begin a thorough investigation to find out where it is coming from. After almost convincing myself that I am imagining things, I finally figure out what it is. My hands smell like the boys' shampoo from washing their hair earlier. I fall asleep happy, hoping I can remember this scent for a long time.

I hear Chad get home around midnight. I semi-consciously mumble a "hello" and "I missed you" to him before returning to my state of exhausted unconsciousness. Unlike the night when Chad left, I have no problem falling back to sleep this time.

~Day 6~

Daddy is home! And he has taken the day off of work! We spend a nice day together as a family, and Chad and I go out for dinner and a show in the evening.

That night while I am getting ready for bed, I think back to the past few days. I made it through five full days without Chad. Not only did I make it, but I actually enjoyed it. I had a really fun time with my boys, and they seemed to have a fun time with me, too.

It's not that we don't have fun together normally. We do. But I often find myself frustrated and at my wits' end with the boys. But this week was different. Despite the shredded wipes, stashed bacon bits and the bathtime hurricane, I managed to really enjoy my boys without feeling overly stressed.

I am definitely ready for Chad to be home, but after these past few days of being on my own with my boys I feel almost like a better mom now. I feel a sense of accomplishment that I don't normally feel. Maybe it was the extra 90 minutes of sleep the boys let me have yesterday. Maybe it was the smell of baby shampoo on my hands. Maybe it was the smiles on the boys faces when they saw their Daddy this morning (or the bigger smiles when they saw he brought back surprises!). Who knows. But whatever it was has left me smiling and feeling ready to tackle whatever my boys have in store for me next, even if it is decorating the bathroom with toilet paper...again.

Chase loved his surprises that Daddy brought back from Texas

Four Down, One to go

Chad just got back from a 5-day business trip to Texas. 

These are some highlights from while he was gone. 

Missed Days 1 & 2? Check them out here!

 

~Day 3~

Alec and Chase get up at 7:00am. I have decided that today is going to be a great day.

We head downstairs, and I take the dog out. While outside, she rolls around in poop. Awesome. So much for that great day. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing at 7:15am than bathing a dog that rolled in poop. Is it too early to open that bottle in the fridge?

Now that the dog is clean, we need to get ready to go to a birthday party for our friends' son who is turning one. It is a pool party, so the boys are very excited. I somehow manage to get everyone dressed, load the pool bag, wrap the present and make it out the door on time.

We spend most of the day at the party, so nap time/quiet time doesn't happen. By the time we get home I am exhausted, and the boys are too. But it's already almost bedtime for the kids, and after bedtime it is girl's night!

I put the kids down about a half hour early because they are exhausted and because I don't have the energy to do anything other than sit down and space out. My friends get here a little while later. It is finally time to open that bottle!

I have a great time actually having a conversation with other adults, and I am comforted by the fact that my kids are not the only ones who have had issues with wipes, bacon bits, toilet paper and similar objects. I go to bed feeling like I can tackle the next two days.

~Day 4~

The boys "sleep in" until 7:38am. They really DO love me!

We've been running around like crazy for the past few days, so today we just hang out at home. For the most part we don't drive each other crazy.

I have decided that if Chase takes a long nap, I am going to attempt to take the boys to the drive-in movie theater to see Madagascar 3 tonight. I'm not sure if this makes me a good mom or a crazy mom. I'm leaning toward the latter.

Chase takes an awesome nap, so the drive-in is on! We head over around 6:30pm to get a good spot and have dinner there.

The boys couldn't have behaved any better. They were so good and had a great time, although I think they enjoyed having free roam of the car better than actually watching the movie. We head home at 11:00pm. This is later than the boys have ever been up. They fall asleep as soon as the car starts moving!

Once home, I transfer the boys to their beds, head over to my bed and pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Ready to hear about Days 5 & 6? Here they are!

Two Down, Three to go

Chad just got back from a 5-day business trip to Texas. 

These are some highlights from while he was gone.

~Day 1~

Chad's flight was scheduled to leave at 5:55am, so his alarm went off at 3:45am. He was super quiet getting ready and getting out the door, but since becoming a mother I have somehow developed the inability to fall back to sleep once I'm even a little bit awake at night. So I watched the clock tick until about 5:30am when I finally drifted off.

The boys were up at their normal time (about 7:15am), and both were in surprisingly good moods. We got ready and set out for a play date at a local bouncy house venue. We played there for a while and had lunch, and again the boys were on their (mostly) best behavior.

After exhausting ourselves jumping, bouncing and sliding, we came home and the boys had nap time/quiet time, followed by more good moods, dinner, play and bedtime. Overall a really great day.

~Day 2~

The boys were up at 7:15am. I was already showered and dressed. WIN!

They were playing nicely together, so I decided to dry my hair. Bad idea. When I got done, Chase came into the bathroom with a mouthful of something and told me he was eating crackers. Apparently he helped himself. FAIL. (Although I guess crackers are better than some other things...)

I went to get him a clean diaper and noticed his wipes were missing. I asked him where they were, and he pointed to his bed. Yep, they were there alright. All 100 of them ripped up and scattered all over his bed. FAIL.

So it's 7:30am, and the score is: Kids - 2, Mommy - 1. Time to let them watch TV before they somehow manage to burn the house down.

After a thrilling episode of Little Einsteins (ok, and a Bob the Builder, too), we head out for our first errand. We need to get photos taken for our summer pool pass. This went better than expected because I found out that we could just use our passes from last year. So I didn't have to fight a 4-year-old to look at the camera and do something other than smush his cheeks together and stick his tongue out (yes, we are in that phase now).

Next up, the liquor store. No really, I'm serious. With Chad out of town for five days, I decided it was the perfect time to host a girl's night at my house after the kids were in bed. So into the Wine and Spirits store I went with my 2-year-old and 4-year-old to purchase some drinks for the next night's vent-about-our-kids event. This errand also went well.

Our last errand was the grocery store. The first two errands went so well that I was sure the grocery store would be a disaster. But somehow this errand went just as well. I'm sure the playroom for Alec and the endless snacks for Chase had nothing to do with their cooperation.

Once we were home, I unloaded the groceries and got lunch ready. Other than the crackers and the wipes, the day was going really well. I was starting to think that maybe I could get through these next few days without going completely crazy.

While I was doing the dishes, Chase came into the kitchen with wet hands. He told me he went pee-pee. Now I know this isn't true because he isn't potty trained yet. But he does, on occasion, like to go into the bathroom and sit on the little potty or stand by the big potty and pretend to go. So I assumed that was what had happened. But that didn't explain the wet hands. So I asked him if he washed his hands, which he also likes to do on occasion. He said yes, but it seemed like there was more to the story. That was when Alec told me that Chase stuck his hands in the pee-pee water. Lovely. So I went into the bathroom to wash Chase's hands for real, and this is what I found:

FAIL!

I washed Chase's hands and then cleaned up the toilet paper mess. Now it was time for Chase's nap. But where was Chase? Off I went to look for him. Here is where I found him:

Yes, those are bacon bits and sprinkles that he has smuggled under the table. So much for making it through the next few days without going crazy.

After swearing to never let Chase out of my site again, we head up for nap time. The dog can clean up the bacon bits on the floor.

Finally Chase is down for his nap. What's that Alec? You want to play your Leapster for the next two hours? Go for it! I'll be downstairs resisting the urge to open up one of those bottles for tomorrow's girl's night. My friends would understand, right?

Nap time is over. We are heading over to a friend's house for dinner tonight. This is good because I can't deal with any more wipes or bacon bits incidents today!

The boys had a blast and tired themselves (and me) out. Next it's home from dinner and playing, and then bedtime...for everyone!

Ready to hear about Days 3 & 4? Here they are!

The Interesting Situation

Last week I had an evening meeting to attend, so Chad stayed home with the boys. When I got home and asked Chad how things went, he replied that everything was fine, but that there was one interesting situation.

Before I go into the details of the interesting situation, there are three bits of background you should know.

First, you should know that Chad and I have been very lucky with our kids in the bathtub. We know plenty of people who have dealt with the "poop in the tub" incident, but fortunately we have somehow managed to avoid that situation.

Second, you should know that I am one of "those" parents who has chosen not to potty train my boys at the age of six months. Yes, Chase is two. Yes, he shows signs that he's ready to potty train. No, I have not started potty training him yet. I waited until Alec was three, and it was one of the easiest parenting experiences I have ever had, so I plan to do the same with Chase. Judge all you want.

Finally, you should know a little bit more about Alec's personality. He is a very serious boy, who takes things very literally. He is the first to let me know if someone isn't following the rules in a game, and he makes sure to let me know whenever Chase is doing something he shouldn't be doing.

So back to the interesting situation... (Can you see where this is going yet?)

Chad was giving the boys a bath together, and he had stepped out of the bathroom for just a minute to get their pajamas. Apparently, the 30 seconds that Chad chose to leave the bathroom were the same 30 seconds that Chase felt the need to do his business. Since this had never happened while in the tub before, Chase was not sure what to do. On some level he must have realized that he shouldn't poop in the tub or on his brother. But he didn't quite know enough to sit on the big potty to do it. So what did he do? He got out of the tub and did his business right smack dab on the bathroom rug.

Alec, being the meticulous child he is, proceeded to frantically yell, "Daddy, Chase pooped on the floor!" at the top of his lungs.

Oh, but it gets better. You see, since Chad and I have been married for over 10 years now, and since we're now parents, we have graduated to the level of talking about our kids' poop like we talk about the weather. So in an effort to better understand how bad the situation was, I asked Chad if it was easy to clean up. His response? "Well, it was until Chase stepped in it."

By the time Chad got done telling the story, I had tears coming down my face. And do you know what the best part of this whole story was? I wasn't even there when the whole "interesting situation" happened! I love that something like this actually happened with someone other than me. I'm not sure Chad feels the same way, but even he was laughing a little bit while telling me the story. Though I bet next time he'll make sure the pajamas are ready to go before bath time...

My Summer Survival Plan

Wasn't it just September? I could have sworn that I just went on my four-store half-day quest with Alec for his Toy Story backpack for 3-year-old preschool last week. But somehow we've managed to fly through nine months of preschool, and now the boys and I have three months of driving each other crazy quality time together.

Alec on his first day of 3-year-old preschool

Alec just finished his second year of preschool, and at his end-of-year party I had to fight to keep the tears back. I didn't want to cry because I was sad that my little boy is growing up so fast. I wanted to cry because for the next three months I don't have three mornings a week where someone else is keeping one of my boys entertained.

Alec on his last day of preschool

I am definitely not one of those moms who is creative or good at coming up with things to do. My idea of creativity is opening up the kitchen drawer with the big utensils and telling the boys to go to town.

Instead, I am one of the moms who hears about something really cool that another mom did and thinks, I wish I had thought of that. Then I proceed to "borrow" the idea. Hey, my boys will never know the difference. And besides, isn't that basically the whole idea behind Pinterest?

So with Alec used to doing really creative crafts, fun activities and playing with 15 other kids for three mornings each week, I have a feeling the transition into summer may be a bit challenging. I mean, a drawer full of big spoons is great, but it only provides entertainment for so long.

In order to help with this transition, I've really been trying to get Alec excited about the fun things we can do over the summer. So the other day when he told me he was excited for summer, I breathed a sigh of relief. I asked him what he was most excited about, and do you know what his answer was? Our upcoming beach vacation? Nope. Swimming in the pool? Nope. Amusement parks? Nope. Are you ready for this? Corn on the cob. Yep, that is what my 4-year-old is most excited about for the next three months. The sigh of relief that I had breathed moments before was quickly replaced with panic. I realized that I needed to come up with a plan.

My plan to survive the summer is a basic one. If it's a nice day, we will be at the township pool trying not to drown each other. If it's not a nice day, we will be trapped inside at home trying not to strangle each other. And regardless of the weather, assuming we have all managed not to drown or strangle each other, I will end each day with a celebratory bottle glass of wine once the kids are sleeping. It's that simple.

With my new plan in place, I'm starting to feel a little bit better about the next few months. I'm sure once we get into the swing of things, I'll have no problem keeping the boys entertained. With the pool, beach, amusement parks and play dates, I'm sure we'll have no problem surviving the next three months. And besides, if we are having a trying day there's always Pinterest and corn on the cob.

I guess it has always been one of Alec's favorite foods...

My Mother's Day Picture

This Mother's Day was my fifth Mother's Day as a mother, and on Saturday (the day before Mother's Day) I told Chad there was one thing I wanted for Mother's Day. After he gave me a look that said Do you realize that Mother's Day is tomorrow and there's no way I'm going to pull off getting you something else?, I think he was relieved to hear my request. I wanted a picture of me with my boys.

Why did I want a picture of me with my boys? Well, there's the obvious reason that I am their mother and it was Mother's Day. But as I was searching through more than two years worth of photos to find a few photos of me with Alec and Chase together to use as profile photos, I found about three. Three photos of me with my boys. From the past two years. I'm not great at math, but I'm pretty sure that works out to about one a year.

It's not that we don't have photos of the boys. I didn't count, but I'm pretty sure we're into the five digits of photos of the boys. And there are plenty of photos of the boys with Chad, the boys with grandparents, the boys with friends, the boys with the dog. But only three photos of the boys with their own mother.

Why were there only three photos of me with my boys? Well, mothers wear many hats, including but not limited to chef, nurse, maid, and now photographer. Since I'm always the one taking the pictures, I never seem to make it into many photos myself.

So after Chad learned that all I wanted for Mother's Day was for him to take a picture of me with the boys, I think he felt like he got off easy. At least he felt that way until picture time.

You see, since I've been the family photographer for four years now, I've learned a little bit about taking photos of kids. I've learned that it takes about 50 photos just to get one kind of good one. If I want a really good photo, I can count on at least 100 tries, a little bit of luck and lots of frustration.

So here is a glimpse into my Mother's Day picture:

Attempt #1: Let's try to get a shot of the three of us on the couch.

Chase is looking at the camera like I'm squeezing the air out of him, and Alec is looking somewhere else.

Now Alec is begrudgingly looking at the camera but Chase is looking somewhere else.

Alec is already tired of having his picture taken and is now goofing off, and Chase is ready for his nap.

Now Chase is goofing of and Alec is once again not looking at the camera.

Well at least I'm still smiling.

Ok, I think we've all had enough of our first attempt.

Attempt #2: Let's go outside this time.

The boys actually look good...it's me who wasn't ready this time.

Ok, I'm ready now...but the boys are not.

 

I don't even know what's going on here.

More goofing off from the boys.

I'm pretty sure this was Chad's attempt at humor.

Let's try to get the boys to give me a kiss before calling it quits.

And the Winners:

I honestly don't know what people did before digital cameras. I can't even imagine how many photos were thrown away and how much money was wasted on photos of mom's butt.

So next year when Mother's Day rolls around again and I tell Chad that I want another photo of me with the boys, he might think twice about feeling relieved. At least I can't complain about not having any pictures of me with my boys now!

Facebook and Twitter and Guest Blogs, Oh My!

If you're a follower of my blog, I'm sure you've noticed that there hasn't been much activity for the past few months. Well, there's a good reason for that. While I've been busy with the boys and birthday parties and gearing up for summer, I've also been busy getting ready for some exciting times at Mommy's Always Write!

I started Mommy's Always Write about two years ago, mostly as a way to share my thoughts and experiences of motherhood with my family, friends and anyone who would listen. But over the past year, it has started to become much more. I have had several wonderful opportunities to write for national and international parenting websites, and I have discovered how much I really like to blog. It's actually a little bit addicting!

So I have decided it's time to take Mommy's Always Write to the next level. I've been spending my recent "blogging time" creating a facebook page (www.facebook.com/MommysAlwaysWrite), starting a Twitter account (@TweetsFromMommy) and working on some exciting new guest blogs that you'll be seeing and hearing about in the coming months. Plus, you can expect much more frequent posts on my blog itself.

And speaking of the blog itself, I am also excited to announce that Mommy's Always Write now has its own unique domain name. You can now find my blogs at www.MommysAlwaysWrite.com (but don't worry - you can still get there using the link you have been using for the past two years as well).

I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who reads my posts, whether you have been with me since my first post, or whether this is your first time visiting my blog. It's always great to hear about people who read my blog, whether I personally know you or not! I've been amazed to learn about people that follow Mommy's Always Write who I never would have expected. That's part of what I love about blogging!

Oh, and you should also know that I have a little bit of an indulgent side to me too... I absolutely love reading comments and getting feedback about my blog. Positive comments are awesome, but I also welcome criticism or suggestions on how I can improve. My day is made every time someone comments on a post or "likes" my new facebook page or follows me on Twitter. Seriously. I'm easily amused.

I am very excited about this next chapter of Mommy's Always Write, and I hope you'll join me on my journey. So with all that being said, I invite you to read, "like," follow, comment and enjoy!