Put the Oxygen Mask on the Mommy First!

We've all heard the phrase I am sure that you should put the oxygen mask on your first before helping others.  I think this is ringing true for me right now.  Up all day, up half the night and my sole focus has been the kids.  Even my poor husband hasn't made my list lately.  And since I am focusing on calm parenting, that requires me to take care of me first. 

So I have thought about these projects on my list and I think the shear accomplishment of them is for ME...they may be for the house or the kids, but I do love accomplishing something, having something to show for my time besides the repeatable cleaning chores and never ending stream of laundry.  I read somewhere to get up early so you have peace and quiet for a little while.  Whomever wrote that has not met me...so maybe they meant stay up late.  Anyway, I stayed up and worked on my daughters costume hat again last night and feeling like it's coming together.  I have one and half weeks to get it completed, along with a costume for my son which i have yet to start for our fall picture shoot.  The picture shoot is totally for me.  A place to play with my camera and really get some good pics of the kids to share with the family.  Definitely something to look forward to! 

Yesterday I actually made it out of the house for a playdate.  While it was stressful I did it and my daughter had a blast playing with someone else's toys.  I truly got re-energized talking with a fellow mommy.  When we returned home and I put my daughter down for a nap, I took my baby boy and let him nurse while I got some sleep too.  I soooooo needed it.  In the process I totally missed the opportunity to make dinner, but I have to say I wasn't over the moon disappointed about it.  I realized the nap was more important.  Sometimes you just have to choose you.

So today I already have meat out to make dinner (lesson learned from yesterday).  An old Pampered Chef recipe my family loves called Three Bean Casserole.  And thinking maybe brownies for dessert tonight...who doesn't like brownies.  In my house I still use a brownie mix and then add Ghiradelli dark chocolate morsels to make it more scrumptious.  Someday I will make my own brownie mix too...I need to add that to my to do list. 

The fall wreath has been started...but no where close to finishing.  And I still haven't made my bread.  Hoping to find time for that this week.  Well have a great day out there, wherever you are.  And put on that oxygen mask!!

A Day of Calm

Today my focus was on remaining calm.  Trying to enjoy the moments with my kids and not fret the small stuff.  That lasted til about 10am...then I had to keep reevaluating that thought.  We are working on potty training and just when I think she is ready for big girl panties, she's not.  It's pretty frustrating!  So back to diapers...ugh!  Although I did manage to get a shower with one kid on the potty behind me and one kid in the swing right outside the bathroom door.  Crazy, right??  Hey atleast I am clean! 

Otherwise the day was pretty accomplished.  Four loads of laundry done and dinner (with homemade dessert) on the table on time.  Kids are both in bed and now a few minutes to myself to digest the day.  I need silence tonight amidst the 2 year old still singing in her room and the dog crying in the kitchen (I think she is out of water) oh and the TV on some crappy show I am not interested in watching, but trying to keep noise on to distract the 2 year old from hearing me type...seriously, go to sleep!!!!

I read a blog this weekend that talked about keeping calm when you are parenting and I think the one thing it said that got me interest really peaked was that parents are the role model.  Those are strong words for me as I am still trying to figure out what it means to be a 'stay at home mom'.  Somehow I think the definition changes as the kids get older, but ultimately I do want to be that loving, patient, strong mommy who builds confidence and fun into the kids.  Now to figure out how to do that...maybe I need a mission statement!  Gonna ponder that, must be the business mind coming out.

So for now my work continues to remain calm.  My projects this week haven't changed too much from last...finish my daughter's Halloween costume, make a fall wreath, make bread (found a new recipe to try tomorrow) and all this while I work through my Cinderella chores.  Goodnight all! 

What Happened to Yesterday

Boy was I defeated yesterday.  Seemed the world was against me.  I managed to upset a newly pregnant friend, not feed my 2 year old lunch and I think I missed taking a shower (does it matter that I can't remember!?).  These are the days that make me wonder if I am made to be a stay at home mom.  Such pressure to perform perfectly all the time.  I have always been hard on myself and last night was no exception as I reviewed my 'accomplishments' of the day!  I even texted with a friend last night about the cost of babysitters and when she asked me 'how much have you been paying' I think I had an internal meltdown because I have never had a babysitter.  When I worked we had a nanny at the house since I worked from home and my mom occasionally comes to town and has watched my 2 year old, but honestly I could probably count on both hands how many times I have actually been apart from my 2 year old.  I am feeling like a break is needed, although currently don't see one coming any time soon.

So today will be about picking up the pieces, working on dusting myself off and then trying to find something for ME...not my family or my kids or my hubby...just me!  Maybe I will get to take a shower by myself or shave my legs without an audience and honestly that will probably be it!  Then I will turn to dinner duties...actually entertaining the idea of trying to make homemade pizza dough.  Mommy duty takes priority and I will just pull up my big girl panties and move on.  While I feel alone in this, I know there must be other mommies out there in the same exact spot.  Grateful these days aren't everyday. 

Dreams and Daydreams

I used to dream about running.  I was never very athletic.  I developed a want to run in my late 20's and before I could really run I would wake up in the morning and remember dreaming about running.  Then after I gave birth to my daughter 2 years ago the same thing happened.  It was like my mind was conditioning my body to run.  Now, having an 11 week old baby and a 2 year old, the only dreams I have are daydreams and they usually consist of sleeping!  That is the truth of motherhood! 

My little guy (11 weeks old) has a little congestion and there's nothing like listening to your child struggling to breathe to keep a mommy up all night.  He kept waking himself up and poor guy just didn't get much rest.  Of course my hubby, who tried to be helpful in hour 3 of my sleepless night, wakes up and says 'do you want me to rock him to sleep?' to which he received an emotional response he wasn't expecting, tried for 40 minutes and didn't make any progress.   Ultimately I ended up taking my son back.  In some ways I am grateful I have been given the gift of consoling my child and sometimes I wish he would accept consoling from his sweet Daddy.

So today I am making chili in the crock pot for our chilly night (supposed to be in the 50's).  And getting children's clothes ready for a local consignment sale that I have been procrastinating about!  And lastly, still working on Halloween costumes...my daughter will be a scarecrow and still working on the hat.  I can be crafty, but this is pushing me to my limits on level of difficulty!  Oh, and the side project still underway is a fall wreath for the front door.  Where will I find the time..who knows!  It might take me til the end of fall to finish all of this.  For someone who used to be a professional project manager and had several large clients that I serviced all at once I am challenged with just 2 children under my feet and in my arms to get anything done these days.  No pressure...yeah right!!

Update from yesterday:  I did end up making those chocolate peanut butter pretzel balls and they were to die for!!  I do have on my list to figure out a way to add caramel to it as that would just be heaven!  They were easy and my 2 year old got to help make and eat them!

Gotta Start Somewhere

I am excited to see how this evolves.  What do I want this blog to be? Ultimately an outlet for my daily thoughts.  Guess we will just have to see where that takes us. Hoping I don't share TMI...and hoping someone finds my thoughts interesting enough to read. 

Today we are waiting on a 'cold front' to come through.  This means daily temps will be in the 70's, so not much of a cold front however this does put me in the fall mood.  As my good friend says, 'it's a ber month', which really means anything fall/winter related is acceptable.  So I am craving something sweet and found a recipe on pinterest for balls made with peanut butter, pretzels and chocolate.  Gonna have to give them a try and maybe see if I can somehow sneak some caramel in somehow.  Wish me luck!