Ways I'm Rockin' Motherhood
So Hannah over at Gokie Notes tagged me to post about the ways I'm rockin' motherhood lately. So... I couldn't resist even though I've blogged like 2x this whole year!
Going with the Flow
I'm a surprisingly "chill" parent, which is surprising because I am not that way in most other areas of my life. When Luke dumps out 3 consecutive boxes of toys on the floor, he gets a look and then we move on and play. When Norah knocks her food off her high chair tray, I just clean it up when I get a chance to. But nothing like that makes my blood pressure rise or my anxiety kick in.
Singing Songs
I love that Luke and Norah both seem to love music and dancing. Every night before bed Luke and I "snuggle" which consists of me rocking him as we say a prayer and he requests songs. Sometimes he sings songs with me like "Twinkle Twinkle" or "Jesus Loves Me", but other times he just says some of his favorite items and waits for me to make up a song on the spot, like "Dump truck Song" or "Daddy Song." Music is important to Scott and me, so I like encouraging it in their lives too.
Cheap Clothing
Totally stealing this from Hannah, but I also love finding great deals on kid clothes. I always get hand-me-downs from nieces and nephews, plus my other sister is a pro at finding the best deals on Buy-Sell-Trade sites. And I can score a mean deal online at Kohls by stacking coupon after coupon and getting free shipping (usually I spend less than $3 an item!).
Books
As a teacher I realize how important fostering a love for reading is at a young age. I am always encouraging Luke to read books and it's pretty easy for him to push back bedtime by asking to read another.... because I will read 6 books in a row! Sometimes I catch him reading on his own and it melts my little heart. Norah has just started showing any interest in them, so I keep busting out the Touch and Feel ones! Luke often requests to visit the library and he helps me search for truck books he wants.
Errands
I am currently handling errands with both of them like a champ. I've figured out what combination of Ergo, double stroller, single stroller, type of cart needed, etc. at each place I frequent. I actually like bringing them along most of the time. When they aren't with me I have to stop myself from narrating the whole event out loud..... I'm not alone in that right?
Balance
Somehow, in the last 1-2 months, I've actually found a manageable balance between my various responsibilities. Yes I've been busy with work, grading papers, writing papers for my grad class, cleaning, laundering, and all of that normal house stuff, but I've also felt the "margins" of my life expand too. Scott and I let each other sneak downstairs for a 30 minute work out video most nights after dinner. We've had time to watch a show every night or to read a chapter in a book. I'm an introvert so I don't need a lot of time with friends, but I've been able to get some of that in too.
I often feel guilty if I want to meet a friend for happy hour or do something on the weekends since I don't see my kids that much during the week as it is. But, I've been trying to make my time with them more purposeful and being present instead of browsing social media or cleaning. I'm slowly realizing that not only is having some time for myself good, but letting Scott be with them by himself is good too.
Going with the Flow
I'm a surprisingly "chill" parent, which is surprising because I am not that way in most other areas of my life. When Luke dumps out 3 consecutive boxes of toys on the floor, he gets a look and then we move on and play. When Norah knocks her food off her high chair tray, I just clean it up when I get a chance to. But nothing like that makes my blood pressure rise or my anxiety kick in.
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| All of these veggies ended up on the floor... |
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| He decided to use some lip stick as war paint... |
I love that Luke and Norah both seem to love music and dancing. Every night before bed Luke and I "snuggle" which consists of me rocking him as we say a prayer and he requests songs. Sometimes he sings songs with me like "Twinkle Twinkle" or "Jesus Loves Me", but other times he just says some of his favorite items and waits for me to make up a song on the spot, like "Dump truck Song" or "Daddy Song." Music is important to Scott and me, so I like encouraging it in their lives too.
Cheap Clothing
Totally stealing this from Hannah, but I also love finding great deals on kid clothes. I always get hand-me-downs from nieces and nephews, plus my other sister is a pro at finding the best deals on Buy-Sell-Trade sites. And I can score a mean deal online at Kohls by stacking coupon after coupon and getting free shipping (usually I spend less than $3 an item!).
 |
| He dumped out ALL the toys, but did settle on a book =) |
Books
As a teacher I realize how important fostering a love for reading is at a young age. I am always encouraging Luke to read books and it's pretty easy for him to push back bedtime by asking to read another.... because I will read 6 books in a row! Sometimes I catch him reading on his own and it melts my little heart. Norah has just started showing any interest in them, so I keep busting out the Touch and Feel ones! Luke often requests to visit the library and he helps me search for truck books he wants.
Errands
I am currently handling errands with both of them like a champ. I've figured out what combination of Ergo, double stroller, single stroller, type of cart needed, etc. at each place I frequent. I actually like bringing them along most of the time. When they aren't with me I have to stop myself from narrating the whole event out loud..... I'm not alone in that right?
Balance
Somehow, in the last 1-2 months, I've actually found a manageable balance between my various responsibilities. Yes I've been busy with work, grading papers, writing papers for my grad class, cleaning, laundering, and all of that normal house stuff, but I've also felt the "margins" of my life expand too. Scott and I let each other sneak downstairs for a 30 minute work out video most nights after dinner. We've had time to watch a show every night or to read a chapter in a book. I'm an introvert so I don't need a lot of time with friends, but I've been able to get some of that in too.
I often feel guilty if I want to meet a friend for happy hour or do something on the weekends since I don't see my kids that much during the week as it is. But, I've been trying to make my time with them more purposeful and being present instead of browsing social media or cleaning. I'm slowly realizing that not only is having some time for myself good, but letting Scott be with them by himself is good too.
Yay, so glad you blogged about it! :) I have definitely not reached the stage of being comfortable on errands yet - currently still at the "please let me run errands on the weekend so I can get away from these crazy children" stage. Oh well, right?!
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