Lesson #69

Poop humor loses something when you are trying to potty train a toddler

Poop, plop, turd, poopy...any way you say it, the end result is the same. Kids reflexively giggle whenever potty talk is involved. There is nothing funnier to little kids than jokes involving poop. And thanks to a very thoughtful gift from one of my husband's co-workers, we are just rolling in poop humor these days. The kids could not believe their lick when they got "doody heads."

The clever little hats are topped with a brown swirl of cushioned poop. They thought it was pretty funny to wear the poop as a hat but even funnier to hide it around the house for me to find. No matter how many times they pull the trick, I am stall falling for it. This is mainly due to the fact that Miles has been known to not only poop in his underwear daily, but to even poop on the floor if he is going commando. This has been an issue since we started potty training a few weeks ago and has reached a new level of frustration thanks to this new prop.

Just this morning, I fell for it again. Max was frantically yelling for me to come downstairs because there was a huge poop on the carpet. Once again, I came racing into the room to find this stupid poop toy on the floor. Don't get me wrong, I was relieved not to have to pick up a disgusting mess. But I am pretty sure this new favorite toy is going to find itself disappearing very soon...permanently!

Lesson #67

Raising a grateful child

One thing that we have really been struggling with is how to teach our kids to appreciate what they have and not to take things for granted. I get so frustrated when my kids expect things to be handed to them and fail to recognize all that we do for them.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I cook a meal and all three kids have nothing but negative comments for me. I never really thought a six-year-old could hurt my feelings. But I was wrong. It also kills me when they complain about not getting something they want. They are so fortunate and do not have the insight to see how blessed they are.

I was having a conversation with my sister-in-law over the weekend. It seems we are both struggling with the same issue. Between the disrespect and the back talking, it is hard to feel accomplished in parenting strategies. We didn't really come up with any solutions to the issue, but it helps to not feel so alone with the problem.

My husband and I try to point out opportunities for showing gratitude. We try to explain how other kids aren't as fortunate as they are and that it is always important to speak with respect. I am not sure that it is sinking in but I suppose all we can do is keep being consistent.

Lesson #68

There is such a thing as too much fun

This lesson goes against everything I have ever believed. If you are not having fun, why bother? That used to be my motto. But after a three-day-weekend of non-stop action, I am pretty sure that fun can really catch up with all of us!

It is not even 7:00 pm on Sunday and I am struggling to convince myself I can make it to bed time. I am EXHAUSTED!!!! The kids are feeling it too. We had a great weekend with family and friends but I think we are all ready for some down time. Disproving the notion that the kids might actually sleep past 6:00 am if they were up two hours past bed time, our kids managed to miss out on about 8 hours of normal sleep over the holiday weekend. Cranky doesn't even begin to describe the atmosphere around here. I am actually looking forward to Monday. 

Lesson #66

Family first

There is nothing I love more than when my brother and his family come in town to visit. The adults all get along great and the kids all love playing together. the ages all line up pretty well with Max and his cousin Jack at age 6 and the two youngest at the age of two. Zoey is right in the middle at four but she finds her place as one of the older ones.

Every time we get together, whether here or in Kansas City, we always have a blast. There are definitely some ups and downs, including physical altercations and hurt feelings. But overall, the kids really do great. It was so much fun this weekend reminiscing back to a time when we just had Max and Jack. They would fight and yell, arguing over toys, space on the couch and pretty much anything they could think of to dispute. It could be very trying at times when those boys would be together. As we sat around the pool, watching all five kids swim and play, it really sunk in how lucky we all are to have such a close family. Even with the shoving and face grabbing between Miles and Jensen, there is so much love between the cousins.

When the gang heads back to Kansas City tomorrow, it will be very sad for everyone. The house will be a little less messy, about half as loud and twice as lonely.

Lesson #65

Unplug and enjoy the scenery

I am one of those moms that try to monitor the amount of television, iPad and other electronics with great frustration. No matter what rules or structure I try to apply, someone is always begging to use one of our many technologic distractions. Even Miles knows how to use the iPad. He started getting the hang of it before he was even two-years-old. Now, it seems they all fight over which show to watch and who gets to use the iPad or Leap pad.

This week, the older two kids were at a morning camp. I wanted to go for a run outside as the weather was amazing. I decided to take the chance that Miles might actually tolerate me taking a run as he say in the jogging stroller. I left the house with everything I might need in case he got bored: Leap pad, two snacks, water and his toy crocodile. I was pleasantly surprised when I got well beyond the half way point without pulling out any of my tricks. He was content looking around and asking me about 100 questions. This was a challenge in itself as he always seemed to inquire about things just as we were tackling a hill. Despite being very winded, I thoroughly enjoyed the run. We stopped at the park on the way home and had a great time looking at the horses and running around on the playground together.

I worried that he would put up a fight about getting back into the stroller to go home. Instead, he asked if we could run back through the park to see the water fountain and horses before heading home. He was so happy just munching his snack on the way home that I felt we could have easily gone even longer. It ended up being a great morning for both of us!

I am glad I brought along reinforcements for the stroller run but I am so happy I did not have to use them. It reminded me that given the opportunity, kids can often surprise you. Miles was happy just taking in the scenery and relaxing as we jogged along.

Lesson #64

I am my own toughest critic

I don't think of myself as someone with poor self esteem. I do however have some perfectionistic tendencies that often result in some self-judgement. I know in my heart I am a good mom. I love my kids obviously but I also try every day to provide a loving, fun, educational environment. That being said, I don't usually feel like I have a handle on things.

On a typical day, I feel like I am merely managing chaos. I don't shy away from taking my kids out in public, despite how crazy they can act around others. It is always a toss up as to whether I will leave some place feeling utterly embarrassed.

I thought I was in pretty good shape yesterday as I took my two older kids to the grocery store. The two-year-old is usually a lose canon on this type of errand. I thought I had it made with Max and Zoey along to get supplies for an upcoming party.

The entire time we were in the store I was frazzled. They both kept bringing me items that we "must have" for the BBQ. Further, they were intentionally trying to out-silly the other one: silly voices, running up and down the aisles, playing hide and seek.

By the time we got up to the check out, I was at the end of my rope. They were all over the place. Mainly they were just acting silly but it was the last thing I needed trying to make sure we had remembered everything.

I started to apologize for how they were acting but the cashier wasn't having it. "They are just being kids. You can tell they come from a happy home and that is all that matters. "

When I stopped to think about these words, they really made me take a step back. They were just acting like kids. They were actually making a very boring errand into a fun outing. It was my own fear of how others might perceive their "out of control behavior" that had me feeling frustrated. Obviously there is a time and a place for this kind of behavior. All in all, I realize that I need to worry less about how others perceive my parenting and worry more about how I feel about the job I am doing.

Lesson #63

Appreciating the chaos

Anyone that has ever been to our house knows that it is not the most relaxing of atmospheres. The volume level is almost always well above average. Whether they are fighting or getting along well, everything seems to be done with a tremendous amount of noise here.

We were sitting around the dinner table last night trying to finish up our last bites. Zoey sat quietly in her seat, sipping her milk, as the boys reeked havoc. It is hard to describe exactly what they were doing. Imagine two Labrador puppies playing tug of war with a chew toy. Add in screaming and laughing and that might give you some idea. Nothing particularly bad was happening, but it was nothing short of chaos. We were both just waiting for someone to get hurt and for the laughter to turn into tears. I think the exhaustion from the day prevented me from trying very hard to deescalate the situation. Rather, I sat back and had to smile at the ridiculousness of it all. I looked at my husband and we both just shrugged our shoulders. He then made a comment about needing a vasectomy. We both just laughed and sat back as the craziness ensued.

As much as I complain about how insanely loud and intense things are here with three kids between 2-6 years old, I really know how lucky we are to have happy, healthy kids. They do love each other and are happiest when we are all together. I know that won't always be the case so I count my blessings.