Worth it?

This weekend my little sister and my sweet niece came into town to visit . One of our most favorite things to do when she lived here was go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, sit and chat over coffee and yummy biscuits. I have always been there with babies...babies, who are quiet and don't play with knives. This visit was different with a baby, toddler, preschooler, and a kindergartner. They are independents... Hard to keep strapped down.

So as tradition would have it, my sister requested to go to the Cracker Barrel for breakfast yesterday morning. We woke up around 8 but in this house you can't just get up and go any more. Bitty Tiny has to be fed, diapered two or three times, dressed (once if we are lucky), big kids have to get dressed and pottied. Getting Dillon's socks and shoes on, that's always an adventure. That could be it's own post! By the time we actually left it was an hour and a half later.

The entire morning little Dillon talked about how yummy his pancake was going to be. We got to the restaurant and seated very quickly considering it was a Sunday morning. Got everyone sat and food ordered. Shortly after that this sweet "empty nester" couple was lucky (i use the word loosely) enough to get seated at the table next to us. They sat beside each other...who does that? Maybe they never had kids...

Our quaint breakfast tradition turned into quite the entertainment. From the playing with butter knives to the putting of feet on the table, to the refusing to eat the much anticipated food...from all of them, we were a circus act. My sister and I were up and down, a constant barrage of "No, stop, sit, don't do that!" " Please eat!!!!!" Sound familiar? To anyone with kiddos, this should be a frequent occurrence or maybe it's just us.

As we were waiting not so patiently for our absentee waitress to bring boxes for the un-eaten food, the couple looked over at my sister and I and said, " Do you ever ask yourself, is it really worth it?"

Was it? Over priced coffee and cold eggs for the sake of arguments and tradition?

Yes, I got to share a parenting moment and experience raising kids with my baby sister, absolutely, it was worth it!

To those of you with no kids, or kids have long since been gone, please be sensitive. We parents, too, long for a meal or shopping experience in peace and quiet. It will come one day, but for now please be patient with us sleep deprived, stressed, and loving every minute of it parents!

Let sleeping babes lie

I know they say you can't spoil a newborn...but I am certain you can. This new little bundle is very particular about certain aspects of his regimen. Please forgive this post if there are more spelling and or grammatical errors. I am posting via smart phone who often times is not so smart when it comes to predicting what I am going to say. My arms are also being occupied by their 2 month old, permanent resident. Which leads me into this post...

They say that babies at this age can't be spoiled by being held too much, that we should not let them cry it out. Their cries are for basic needs including that of comfort. It just so happens this baby is only "comfortable" when being held. Which is absolutely wonderful an will miss in 6 months, but it also make it extremely difficult to accomplish my basic needs. Yeah, who needs a shower today right?

He also has a very favorite blanket. No, it is not a sweet adorable baby blanket, but it is a huge queen size, blue, super softee! We all fight over it, guess who wins...who ever is holding bitty tiny. Yes, oh yes, this kid is rarely put down.

Not only does he get held all day, in the favorite blanket, but he also has a favorite chair. Babies don't care about such frivolous things you might say...but you would be wrong,my friend.

In adddition to the arms, blanket, and chair, he has a person. Is it the mother who labored sans pain killers? No! Is it the person who provides endless nourishment to his lil growing punkin self? No! Is it the person changing all those stinking diapers? No!

He is a daddy's boy through and through.

While in the chair, with the blanket, snuggled up with dad...he gets the best naps. Like 3 hour naps! That is more than I get at once at bed time! Mom is tolerated with this lil guy...I am his necessity. Dad is comfort.

So you tell me, spoiled?

Next week bitty is going to start sleeping in his own space! Mark my words, I think, I hope...well maybe, we'll see...

Laundry...my nemesis

Laundry is my nemesis. It is the antagonizer (is that even a word?) that never goes away. It is always there, lurking behind closed doors and in closets.

I have asked the question to all my friends. What does it mean to have laundry "finished?"

The term is fairly elusive. And I received several definitions. But the most common answer was; "Finished- to have every piece of dirty clothing washed, dried, folded, and put away in it's respective spot."

In our house the laundry is never truly "finished" by the above definition. Surprise, surprise...haha!

I am feelin good about myself if I have it all washed and in the processing in any of the above steps. Come to think of it maybe that is the source of my frustration with the laundering process. Maybe if I had it all completed I would be a free from the clutches of evil! (Dramatic much)

But even then, the process starts all over again with one soiled piece of laundry. Therefore, never being "finished."

So, to all of you who say, "Yay! Laundry is finished!" you are NOT indeed finished, unless everyone in your household is naked.

That is all...

Battle for the Box Tops

Do you know what Box Tops are?

I was among the uninformed until this year when my daughter started public school. Box tops are these little dillywhoopers (see pic above)on the sides of cans, top and sides of boxes, on labels and wrappers of all sorts of everyday household products. For example: Huggies diapers, Ziploc bags, Gogurt, Pillsbury products, and Cheerios...these are just a few.

Well my friends, Box Tops are huge! They are a big deal, a very big deal. I still don't know much about them, I know they are worth $.10 each for your school. I know that the class who collects the most gets a pizza and ice cream party. I know my daughter is a nazi when it comes to looking for them.

For those of you who would like to know more, here is their site.
www.boxtops4education.com

But back to the real reason for this post.

Each time we grocery shop I try to keep in mind the hunt for box tops, but most times the generic brands are cheaper, and you just can't pass that up. Generic brands do not have Box Tops...but there are somethings you just have to go name brand on...we usually end up with 5 box tops each shopping trip. Every little bit counts right?

We collect them and send them back to school each month. Our pantry often will look like a mouse ate a perfectly rectangle shapes out of cereal boxes and soup cans.

Over the holidays we went to visit my mom and dad. My mom and dad, bless their hearts, are still raising kids...two very huge and hungry 17 year old, athletic boys. She grocery shops. A lot.

As I was helping her sort out groceries and cook up some dinner I started noticing the treasure she had in her pantry. It was Box top mania in there! Much to my surprise (NOT!) she was not collecting them. I could just imagine the thousands of dollars of Box tops she was hoarding in her pantry and the thousands more that have been carelessly thrown away!
Throughout the week, I let it be known, very sweetly, that no Box tops were to be thrown away!

On the day of our departure my sweet mother presented my daughter with a Ziploc (Box top) baggie of all her Box tops...her pantry has now been plagued with the same little, rectangle eating mouse. Thanks, Mom!

Here's to all of you who fight to keep the cereal boxes closed with holes cut out of them!

And to all of you who have kids up and coming, start saving now! You will be the hero of the class if you bring in a bucket full. (the expiration is like 3 years!)

And to those of you who don't have kiddos in school anymore, I'll send you our address and we will take care of them for you :)

Clip on Box Top savers! Clip on!