He Said/She Said {Toddler Edition}

She Said:  Jamie, look at these flowers! 
Aren't they beautiful??

He Said:  They are mommy! 

Just like you!

And then I died.
Looks like I've got a smooth talker on my hands!

The mom I want to be.

This morning was not one of my finer mom moments.

While trying to get Jamie ready and out the door he took a dive towards the dog bed.

The gross, slobbery, covered in hair, barely like to touch it to move it back to it's corner.....dog bed.

I went from 0-60 before his body even hit the pillow.

"AHHHHH! GET UP NOW!"

Had he hurt anything?  No.  Not really.  I was just pissed because now his clothes would be covered in dog hair.

So.  Freakin.  What.

He's 2.

Believe me.

His clothes are often covered in things way worse than dog hair.

But in that moment?

It ruined my world.

I let some silly dog hair sour my morning.

And I immediately didn't like it.

In fact.  Lately I don't like the mom I've become.

I'm quick to yell with the patience of, well, a two year old.

And it ain't pretty.

But I'm a work in progress.

So instead of beating myself up over the kind of mom I DON'T want to be.  I decided to come up with a list of mom things I DO want to be.

Because that sweet little cookie dough covered face deserves nothing less.

I want to be the kind of mom.....

Who always has cookies in the cookie jar.
Who doesn't care how big the mess was, as long as a good time was had.
Who can admit when they were wrong.
Who spends more quality time with her kids and less QT with her cell phone.
Who laughs more and yells less.
Who doesn't care if it takes more time to get something ready, than the actual activity itself.  Even if it only lasts 10 minutes.  It will be 10 minutes well spent.
Who lets my child color outside the lines.  Think outside the box.
Who doesn't mind if the train set isn't perfect.  Or the car tracks don't match.  That's not chaos.  It's creativity at it's best!
Who knows when to take a deep breath and walk away instead of screaming.  Sometimes moms need time outs too.
Who knows when to be a friend.  And when to be a parent.
Who lets their child try to things on their own, even if it takes 20 extra minutes to get something done.  How else will they ever learn.
Who lets their child fail.  Sometimes learning from your mistakes is the best way to learn.
Who doesn't care if they look "perfect" every time we leave the house.  You want to wear a cape 24/7?  Right on.
Who only picks battles that are worth fighting.
Who reads more and watches tv less.
Who let's their child jump on the dogs bed once in awhile. Because it's fun. And dog hair brushes off.
Who survives the terrible twos and comes out a better mom on the other side.


What kind of mom do you want to be?
Happy Monday peeps!

It takes a village

I have a friend who's currently looking for daycare.

Something I know first hand is no easy feat.

As a lot of moms do, she's struggling with the thought of having to leave her girls.

While talking about it she said something that immediately rubbed me the wrong way.

 

"How can I just let someone else raise my children?"

 

Now she didn't mean to offend me.

She's just feeling the working mom guilt.

But those few little words really struck a cord.

As I'm sure they do to ALL working mothers.

Dropping my 3 month old baby off at daycare that first day ranks up there as one of my hardest mom days to date.

I was basically leaving my son with people I didn't really know.

I was trusting them his care.

I had to believe that while no one replaces me as his mom, they would care for him like he was their own.

But never once did I ever think of it as someone else raising my child.

Sure they make sure all his basic needs are met.

Help teach him his letters and numbers.  Shapes and colors.

But I'm the one who continues to teach him at home.  Trying to make everything we do a learning experience.

I'm the one who read him his favorite book 100 times a day which I fully credit to the fact that by 18 months he could count and identify all his numbers 1-10.  Something that amazed even his daycare teachers.

And I'm the one who boasted with pride when his teacher said he's continually the only child in his toddler class who says "please" and "thank you"

That's because of me.  His parent.  The one who's raising him to be good person.

Just because my child is in someone elses hands 5 days a week doesn't mean I've washed my hands of this whole parenting gig.

The same way a SAHM isn't done raising her child when she sends them off to kindergarten.

Honestly, are we really ever done?

Daycare is simply my village.

The ones who help reinforce the things I'm teaching him at home.

The ones who care for him when I cannot.

But at the end of the day, I'm in the driver's seat.

I make all the decisions.

I'm the one raising my child.

Day 1: Giving Thanks.... to Stop and Smell the Roses

Here I am already a day behind.

Oops!

This doesn't bode well for the next 30 days now does it....

Regardless I was still thankful for something yesterday.

My son.

Now I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time I'm thankful for him this month, but yesterday he really taught me a lesson.

Everyday I wake up and think, how is it October already.

Where has the year gone?

How is my son 2 already?

How has it almost been 2 years since we said goodbye to my mom.

How is time flying by so fast.

But I never do anything to try and slow it down.

In fact it's usually quite the opposite.

I wish the day away so it can be time to go home.

I count the minutes until my husband walks through the door, and most days it's never fast enough.

I look forward to bed time so I can finally have a moment to myself.

I'm literally wishing time away.

No wonder it's going by at the speed of light.

Yesterday my son got me to slow down.

As we walked out of daycare yesterday the fountain and garden area in the front of the building caught his eye.

 I kept pestering him that is was time to leave.

Let's go.

Come on.

Get in the car.

Hurry up.

But why.

We didn't have any plans.

We had no real reason to get home.

We actually had time to just sit.

So when he climbed up on the park bench and proclaimed he was going to sit and stay awhile.

I gave in.

I sat down right next to him and we talked.

He showed me the October calendar he made at school and pointed out all the colors he used.

He told me how he played with Hanna.

And Natalie pulled his hair. {Always quick to rat you out this one}

How Sam was scared during the fire drill {Which actually happened last week, but who's counting}

That he ate pancakes for breakfast and looked at pictures of  May-May's {Miss Mary's} granddaughter.

He filled me in on his entire little 2 year old day.

It was the best part of my entire day and to think it almost didn't even happen.

So today I'm saying thank you to my son.

It was nice to just stop and smell the roses.

The Negotiator

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a 2 year old had the power to negotiate.

Or at least they think they do.

Not sure when my child woke up and thought he was the boss, but the things that come out of his mouth never cease to amaze me.

Take last week for example.

I told Jamie it was time for bed.

He turned to me and said, "Two more minutes mommy, I'm still playing"

I turned to my husband and couldn't help but laugh.

I've never been a mom who throws out two minute warnings, so I have no idea where he even came up with that.

Then there's dinner time.

After inhaling his tator tots he promptly requested "Mo tots peas"

I told him no, he had to eat his green beans first.

Meaning ALL of them.

So he says, "Ok mama, ONE bite"

He then proceeds to take the worlds SMALLEST bite of green bean before proclaiming

"I did it mama!  Now, mo tots!"

Really kid?  I wasn't born yesterday.....

Last night however, this one takes the cake.

After mowing the grass for the 234th time I told him it was time to park his mower and go inside.

He turned around, waved at me and said, "No mama, I stay here and mow grass.  Bye-Bye.  See ya later."

Right.  As if I'm going to just leave you out here alone.

Seriously.

He's 2 going on 16.

If he's already negotiating now, we're in trouble come the teenage years.

Quick like a bandaid

Yesterday morning I noticed the bumpers in Jamie's crib were all awry.

Obviously he had been up to something the night before.

He had already ripped one of the ties off awhile back, so I figured it was time to take them off before anymore damage was done.

They have to last at least one more baby after all.

So when I got home from work I untied all the ribbons and off it came.

Just like that.

The crib looked so empty and bare.

It was just one more sign my baby was no longer a baby.

Even the hubs commented when he got home that it looked weird.

So I casually mentioned {maybe} we should start thinking about turning it into a toddler bed.

Figuring he'd laugh at me and say "No way!  We're containing the beast as long as we can!!"

But that's not what he said.  He was all casual about it and like "How about right now?"

  And before I could even comprehend what was going on, this was happening.

I had a mini panic attack. 

OMG it's a Wednesday. 

We have to work tomorrow. 

What if this doesn't go well.

What if Jamie's not ready.

What if I AM not ready.

I haven't had time to stew and stress over this for weeks, preparing myself.

But we did it.  Ripped it off quick like a bandaid.

Jamie thought is "new" bed was the bees knees.

Jumping up and down.

Climbing in and out.

I just KNEW it was going to be a loooong, disaster of night.

But it wasn't.

When bedtime rolled around we followed the usual routine.

He ran into the nursery his big boy room, blankie trailing behind him, proclaiming he was tired.

So I sat in the rocking chair like I've done every.single.night for two years expecting to complete our bedtime ritual with some snuggles and goodnight songs, but he said "No mama, I tired.  I lay down."

And just like that he didn't need me anymore.

He climbed right up into bed an put his head down.

We played our night night songs and halfway through he kept saying "Goodnight" as if we were disturbing him.

So we all said our goodnights and shut the door.

He talked in his bed for a bit then I didn't hear a peep.

So I peaked in and there he was, sound asleep, where he staying until this morning.

No drama.  No crying.  No constant climbing out of bed.

I've said it before and I will say it again.

Sometimes I don't think we give our kids enough credit.

We anticipate the worst, when really it's US that have a harder time letting go.

Letting go of one of the few baby things left before fully resigning to the fact that I have a big boy.

Did I mention he also peed on the potty a few days ago?!

I can feel the lump in my throat and the tears in my eyes already.

Before I know it we'll be dropping him off at college.

 

Happy Birthday Bubbaloo!

Dear Jamie,

Two years old.  TWO.  On one hand it feels like you've been in our lives forever, on the other it's like we just brought you home.  So small and squishy.  I thought nothing could surpass the huge changes between birth and year one until I experienced year two.  Holy cow!  You've gone from a baby who could barely walk and talk to a full blown little boy who practically runs circles around me and never stops talking!  You are so smart, I can't believe some of the things you say and do.  You make me so proud to be your mama.  You amaze me more and more every day.  In true toddler fashion you're definitely testing your limits and can make mama laugh and cry all in the same minute.  While your stubbornness and strong willed personality push me, your sweet heart and infectious laugh melt me into a puddle of mush.  You're such a mamas boy.  Part of me hopes you stay that way forever.  The way you light up and come running when I pick you up from school.  The way you come up to me and say "hugs mama, hugs" or ask for a kiss when you have boo-boo.  And the way you still snuggle in your spot on my shoulder every night before bed like you have since the day you were born.  If I could bottle those moments up forever I would.  I can't wait to see what this next year brings.  I just know it's gonna be great!

Love you to the moon and back.
Happy Birthday Bubbaloo!

Kiss-kiss,
Mama

Things I've learned about living with a toddler

Some days it takes longer to actually get ready to leave the house than the outing itself.

Today, peaches will be their favorite food.  They will eat them faster than you can slice them.  Tomorrow, they will hate them.  They will throw them on the floor.  Feed them to the dog.  Clamp their mouth shut and flat out refuse to eat them all while screaming "NOOOOOO PEACHES!!!!!"

You will pick out the perfect toy that you know they will just love.  Fork out big dollars for it, bring it home, assemble it.  Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.  Mom for the win!  They will play with it for approximately 2.5 seconds.  The flimsy battery operated fan that came in their Easter basket?  That will entertain them for days.

It is possible to ask "mama, what you doing?" 23983471 times in one hour.  Apparently they have the memory of a goldfish.

Nap time is never long enough.  Except when you have to go somewhere.  Then they decide to try and break the record for world's longest nap.

You can accomplish a lot in one 22 minute episode of Barney.

A hug from mom can solve just about anything.  It's even more powerful than bandaids.

Car washes are scary.

Goldfish crackers are like gold and can be used to ward off tantrums in pretty much any situation.

If a cheesy children's music CD keeps them happy in the car you will gladly listen to it on repeat for 2 1/2 hours straight.  Anything is better than the alternative.

White clothing shouldn't even be made in toddler sizes.  After the first 5 minutes, it will never be white again.

No is their least favorite word in the English language.  Unless they're saying it.  Then it's number 1 and must always be said at a level loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear.


Toddlers.  They're not for the faint at heart.

Letting Go

Since the day Jamie was born he's been a pacifier baby.
My mom used to comment that he had it in his mouth all.the.time.
Like it was a bad thing.
So what.
It helped him sleep and generally made him a happier baby.  I wasn't going
to mess with it.
As time went on we started trying to wean him off of it and by his 1st
Birthday he really only used it at nap and night time.
{and sometimes in the car.....or when out in public and we needed a quick fix}
Once he turned 18 months I toyed with the idea of taking it away for good,
but chickened out.
I needed that pacifier as much as he did.
It had become my crutch almost as much as it was his.
It guaranteed me a full nights sleep and lessened the embarrassing moments in public.
Well a few weeks ago while we were in Ohio his attachment to it seemed to escalate and for the first time ever he actually started to ask whine for it during the day.
"Binky mama.....biiiinnnkkyyyy!!!!!!"
That's when I realized it was time.
When they're old enough to ask for it, they're TOO old to have it right??
Well I thought so.
The hubs wasn't really on board. 
He didn't think he was ready.
Translation:  The hubs wasn't ready to deal with public outings without our ace in
the hole.
Unfortunately for the hubs, when mama gets an idea in her head there's no
turning back.
I wasn't crazy enough to attempt it BEFORE our 11 hour road trip home.
I said I was determined, not asking for a death sentence.
And I certainly wasn't going to attempt it during the work week.
Mama needs some sleep.
But Friday was the day.
That gives us 3 nights and 2 naps before Monday.
I was in knots all week, anticipating that battle that was going to go down.
The whining, the crying, the sleepless nights. {Jamie would probably be
upset too.  I kid}
When I got home from work I cleared out the binky drawer and the stash in
the diaper bag.
I toyed with just throwing them away, but decided against it.  Just in case.
7:30 rolled around so we did our usual night time routine.
As I was putting on his PJ's he started pointing to the drawer and asking
for his binky.
I said they were all gone.
And that was it.  He said "all gone" and didn't ask again.
Huh.  That wasn't so bad.
Where's that epic meltdown I was waiting for?
We rocked in the chair, sang our good night songs and put him to bed.
He grabbed his blankie and put his head down, so I tiptoed out.
Not a peep.
Was it really going to be that easy?
A few minutes later the screaming began.
Here we go.  Now THIS is what I expected.
I gave it a little bit to see if he'd calm himself down but quickly
realized that wasn't happening.
I went back in, rocked him to sleep, then put him back to bed.
That was it.  We didn't hear from him again until morning.
Nap time?  Same thing.  I rubbed his back for like a minute and he was out
for the count.
Sometimes I don't think we give our kids enough credit.
We anticipate the worst.
We don't trust out mommy instincts that "it's time" and they're ready.
Sometimes I think it's me that has a hard time letting go.
Letting my baby grow up.
Three weeks later and it seems like a distant memory.
Sure at night time he still occasionally asks for it, but we tell him
we gave them to the babies and he's ok with it. 
Because as he says "babies cry, binkies for the babies."
And he's certainly no baby.
Just one more step closer to being a big boy.

Enjoying the small things

Yesterday I raced home from work so I would have time to hit the grocery store before picking up Jamie.

I raced through the store.

I raced to daycare so he wouldn't be the last one there.

We raced home.

I hurried to carry all the groceries upstairs so I could get the dog out ASAP.
By the time we got outside I was exhausted from all the running around.
I was exhausted from the day.

All I wanted to do was go back inside and breath.

Take a time out before the madness of our evening routine began.

Just as the thought of putting my feet up put my mind at ease, I saw a little 25 pound toddler race by, headed right for the swing.

I sighed.

I didn't want to swing.

I wondered if I could bribe him back inside without a tantrum.

And then I realized how in the blink of an eye he's not going to want to play with his mama.

I should slow down.

Enjoy these little moments.
So we swang.

We laughed. 
I soaked it all in.
I felt all the stress of the day melt away.
I was reminded that sometimes, you need to just stop and smell the roses.

Messy Mom Monday

Last week two of my favorite ladies, Jess and Brittany, decided to team up together and bring the blogging world something awesome.

Yep.

A chance for us moms to show our messy homes on the Interwebs for all to see.

I can't think of a better way to make myself feel more human than to know I'm not alone in this battle.

That I'm not the only one whose house is a mess isn't perfect.

And if you've been reading long enough, you know I'm no stranger to showing off my less than stellar housekeeping skills.  Remember this Saturday Morning Scene?

What can I say...I like airing out my dirty laundry for all the world to see.

Literally.

So without further adieu...I share with you what my house looked like Sunday morning.

First off, the stairs.  Which is apparently where my son likes to store his socks and random collection of balls.  {Balls.  Hehe}  Cause this isn't an accident waiting to happen.  Nope.

Moving on.

 Ah.  The family room.  AKA where it constantly looks like a toy store vomited.

Now at first glance, this giant mess appears to all be Jamie's fault.  {aren't they all}

But don't you worry, upon further examiniation you will noticed the highligthed areas.

The random {empty} target bag on the floor.

The hubs coffee mug.

Some clean diapers chilling on the couch that desperately needed to be folded and put away. {3 days ago}

Coupons.  Cause keeping them on the couch ensures you may actually use them. {fat chance}

And of course not one but TWO pairs of my shoes.  Oops.

So see, the adult people of this house are just as much to blame as the little person.

Oh, and don't mind the hooded man.  He apparently wanted no part in sharing our clutter with the world.

The kitchen island.

Not gonna lie.  This lovely piece of furniture that I had to have has never once been actually used to cut and prep food as I had oh so intended.  Instead it's where things go to die.

That brown grocery sack?  It's been there since I went to the store....last week.

Those 2 stacks of bills/tax crap?  Been there since 2011.

See that Target bag with the mysterious black box popping out?  That's a mail organizer I bought over a week ago so the aforementioned stacks of crap would stop piling up on my island.  {Yeah....so that's really been put to good use}

Let's see....what else.  Oh, one of Jamie's art projects.  Gotta love macaroni art.

Some thank you notes I still haven't written....from Christmas. {Better late than never right?}

And 2 random glasses...and a towel.

PS  All of this years (and lasts years) Christmas cards are also in this picture, conveniently blocked by the grocery bag.

 The guest room.  Which actually looks pretty presentable...until you look against the far wall where you will see FIVE bags overflowing with clothes my child no longer fits into.  I keep saying I'm going to go through them and decide what I really want to save.  Donate/give away the rest.  But let's be honest, it will probably all still be there just in time to welcome baby #2. {circa 2013ish}  Let's hope it's a boy!

And last but not least.  Our bedroom.

Thank god we have a sleigh bed, otherwise we may actually have to hang up all those clean clothes....in the closet.  {Overrated}

Hey! At least they made it out of the basket!

So there you have it.  Can we still be friends?
Please go link up too so I feel like less of slob!
Happy {messy} Monday!

My little Picasso

Ever since Jamie graduated to the Toddler room every week or so he comes home with an art project.

We proudly display each one on our fridge and admire our sons vast artistic abilities.

Until now.

Because this is what came home yesterday.

Let the guessing games begin.

Thankfully he's not old enough to know any better, because neither my husband nor I are entirely sure what exactly this is.

We see his foot prints.  We got that part.  But past that we got nothing.

A tree?

Some mistletoe?  Get it...mistle-"toes"?

I know, it's a stretch. 

Sorry kid, but it looks like you inherited your art skills from your mama.

Sleep? What's that?

The sickies have officially made their way into the EyeCanSee house.

Thursday night while getting my hair done my phone rings.

It's the hubs.  Jamie has a 103 degree fever.

Joy.

So Friday I took the day off and spent it with my sick lil man.

Clingy doesn't even begin to describe him.

If I even think about putting him down, he's crying.

Makes sleep interesting for all involved.

Needless to say there hasn't been much of it going on.

Poor guy.

At least we've gotten in some extra mama snuggles this weekend.

But now, just as Jamie seems to be on the mend...I have that faint tickle in my throat.

You know the one.

The one that's going to linger for a few days before turning into a full nightmare leaving me on death's door just in time for our 12 hour trip to Ohio.

Yep.  That one.

I'm loading up on the vitamin C and zinc in a vein attempt to avoid what's inevitably going to happen.

Fingers crossed it works!

Mama can NOT be sick for Christmas.

1987 called. It wants its VCR back.

Jamie decided we live in the 21st century and no longer have any use for our VCR.

Case in point.

Notice anything missing??

No?

Look closer....

 And once said volume knob was removed, it only made sense to give it a new home right??

Let's see what we can come up with.....

 Yep.  INSIDE the VCR. 

Awesome.

All thanks to this hysterically laughing {and apparently massively drooling} toddler.

Good thing he's cute....



So folks, for the 2nd week in a row I find myself quoting AP.
Motherhood = 2. MrsEyeCanSee = 0.

Motherhood: It's not for the faint of heart

Last night started out much like any other.

Left work, picked up Jamie, came home.

Made tacos.

Made Chex Mix. 

Ok so that's kind of out of the ordinary, but mama was craving some chex mix like woah.

Anyways, after making a complete mess of the kitchen, Jamie and I made our way downstairs to play.

It was at this point that I realized something had died in my sons pants and he was in need of a diaper change like yesterday.

It was only 6:15....a little early for bath time, but I figured what the heck.

Seemed silly to put on a new diaper for only 20 minutes knowing bedtime was close.

So upstairs we went.

I got Jamie all undressed, cleaned up the massacre in his pants and put him on the floor.

Surely a boy who has just peed AND pooped can be trusted for a little nakey time.

I went down the hall to turn on the tub and see Jamie's naked butt toddling into our bedroom.

No biggie, he probably wants to play with the phone or root through my sock drawer or dig the tennis racket out of the closet.

You know, usual Toddler debauchery.

Like clockwork, as soon as the tub water is on I hear manic laughter and footsteps coming down the hall.

Now it must be told that the amount of time that's past since I saw naked butt in our bedroom to turning on the faucet is maybe 60 seconds.

Sure enough here he comes.  But what is that on his leg?  And his hand?

Is that chocolate?

Oh dear god PLEASE be chocolate.

DontbepoopDontbepoopDontbepoop.

I sniff his hand.

Yep poop.

All over his legs.  Hands.  And face.

Sigh.

I clean him up.  Brush his teeth.  Twice.  Get his PJs on and then reluctantly enter our bedroom the crime scene.

And then I saw it.

And laughed.  Cause really....what else can you do.

In 60 seconds my son managed to take a poop (and pee) in the dogs bed.

Apparently he was just marking his spot.

In the infinite words of AP

Motherhood = 1.  Mrs EyeCanSee = 0.

These are a few of my favorite things: Mom Edition, Volume 3

Now that we've entered the wonderful world of toddlerhood,

I thought it was time to share a few of our new found favorite things!

And just in case you were wondering, no one paid me to review any of these,

just a few things we've found that help us survive life with a toddler!

Tommee Tippee Sippy Cup

We tried a lot of sippy's.  Like practically every brand out there.  This one takes the cake.  I like that it doesn't have handles, but is easy to hold.  Keeps drinks cold and has an attached cap for the spout to ensure no spills when in the diaper bag.  Passes the throw test with flying colors, even on our ceramic tiled floors!  No leaks, no spills!  It doesn't have a built in valve like some of them, so there is one extra piece to deal with, but it's still honestly the easiest one we have to clean.  And the best part?  The spout is hard so it doesn't collapse with every drink as opposed to the ones with a soft, bottle like nipple.  Now I just need to find a good straw cup and I'll be one happy mama!

Radio Flyer Wagon

We got this as a gift from some dear friends for Jamie's Birthday.  It's honestly not anything I would have even considered buying.  We have a stroller so it never seemed like a necessity.  Wrong!  We LOVE this thing!  It's perfect for walks to the park, the pool, or just around the neighborhood.  Jamie loves to sit in it and watch the world go buy.  I can't imagine life without it now!

Tiny Diner Place mat

Not gonna lie, I used to make fun of parents with all those goofy restaurant gadgets....and then I had a kid.  A kid who is apparently a messy eater.  This suction cups right to the table and has what we lovingly call "the trough" to catch all the food that doesn't make it into Jamie's mouth.  AKA, 50% of it.  Between that and the pocket on his bib, we feel pretty confident we aren't "those people."  You know, the ones who leave the restaurant a total mess, food scattered all over the floor.  Plus it rolls right up and fits great in the diaper bag.  Win-win!

Evenflo Symphony 65

When it came time to pick a convertible car seat, I researched it to death.  With a child who was already topping the charts in height I wanted to make sure we got something that would last.  I also wanted something that would allow rear facing for as long as possible since we're hoping to make it to age 2 based on the new AAP recommendations.  Enter the Evenflo.  It's SUPER easy to install with the Surelatch clips.  The shoulder height is automatically adjustable.  No frustrating belts to rethread every time little man grows an inch or two!  It can remain rear facing until 40 pounds and forward facing up to 65.  After that it will convert to a booster and last till Jamie's in highschool 100 pounds so it's literally the ONLY seat we will have to buy for him.  Plus it didn't break the bank like some of the other big name brands out there.  It was car seat love at first sight!

CJ's BUTTer and Wool Wash

With cloth diapers you can't just use any old diaper cream or it will cause the diapers to no longer absorb.  Pretty big problem to have with a diaper, so we always make sure to have some CD friendly creams on hand.  Luckily Jamie has NEVER had a rash (knock on wood) but I use the BUTTer at night just to keep his heiney nice and baby soft.  It comes in a tub, a tube or a stick.  I've tried all three along with a variety of their many scents.  Our faves are Monkey Farts and Blueberry Crumble.  Seriously this stuff smells good enough to eat.  It's also great on eczema and dry skin and because of the Vitamin E in it we've been using it on Jamie's scar.  After the Mederma was causing it to blister, my doctor recommended something milder like Vitamin E oil.  On a whim I checked the CJ's ingredients and sure enough, there it was!  Vitamin E.  I also saw a review on their website that said after trying many other scar ointments they also tried the BUTTer and it was the only thing that worked!  That was enough proof for me!

After having such great success with their BUTTer I thought I'd try their wool wash.  For those not familiar with using wool with cloth diapers, it's basically a naturally absorbent material that can hold something crazy like 5 times it's weight.  Anyways, we use it at night as a cover over his diapers for a bullet-proof, leaf free solution.  One of the ways to keep your wool fresh and absorbent is a little thing called lanolin.  I love CJs wash because it already has the lanolin in it, making it a super easy, one step process.  And just like their cream it smells amazing!

So there you have it.  Just a few of our favorites.
What are some of yours??

Not everyone wants to be June Cleaver

A few weeks ago I took Jamie to a Gymboree class. I was so excited to have found one in our area...and on a Saturday no less. A working mother's dream come true!  I couldn't wait for some mommy and me time.  I was also hoping to maybe meet a cool mom friend or two. Instead I met a nice enough mom, and then I lied to her. It was a little white lie, but a lie nonetheless. One I've told a few times before. You see upon meeting this mom, I told her how I was glad they offered Saturday classes for us working moms. She stared at me with a look of horror on her face. Had I said something wrong? She immediately responded with a snarky tone, I don't work....I'm a full time mom. Oh, I said, you're so lucky I wish I could stay at home too. And there it was. The lie. It kinda just happened. Like word vomit to avoid the judging that was brewing in her mind.  Truth be told, I don't want to be a stay at home mom.  However when I say it out loud, women look at me and my child with pity in their eyes.  How could any mother possibly WANT to work?  Surely if she could quit, she would. 
I feel like I'm an anomaly in the working mom world. Everyday I read blogs and talk to women who would give anything to quit their jobs and stay at home. Not me, I actually like what I do and if given the opportunity to quit, would probably still work at least a day or two. I had a whole life, a career, before my son was born.  I worked hard for four years in college to achieve my dream. Why should my new role as a mommy mean leaving my old identity behind? Why can't I be both?

I used to think there I was missing some vital "mom" gene for thinking this way. For not wanting to spend every waking, breathing moment with my child.  For having a baby knowing full well he'd *gasp* be a daycare kid, causing women everywhere to clutch their pearls.  Was I being a bad mom?  Was I doing the wrong thing?  Should I want to stay home?  But then I realized, being a mom is like everything else. There's no right or wrong way to do it.  Just do what's best for you and your family. And this?  This just works for us. I like the balance we've found.  I like the independence I get at work.  It helps me maintain a little piece of "Emily" before she became "Jamie's mom."
 Do I sometimes feel like I'm burning at both ends? Yep, doesn't every mom? Are there days when I drop Jamie off and he's clinging to my leg, begging me not to go, that I want to just scoop him up and run back home, never returning to work again? Sure. I'm not heartless. I'm still a mom who loves her son more than anything in the world. But most days he runs in, not giving our goodbye a second thought. Are there days when my house is a mess and we eat cereal for dinner because sneaking in a trip to the park or a few more snuggles with Jamie was more important? You better believe it. Because working outside the home doesn't make you a part time mom, you still do that full time too.

So do I think that other mom is lucky to be a SAHM? Absolutely. Because that's what she wants. That's what works for her.  But next time when I get those sad "Oh....she's a working mom" looks, there will be no little white lies, because I'm proud of what I do. Proud of the choice I made. And in my opinion, that makes me a pretty great {working} mom.

One more step towards a crunchy life

As if cloth diapering didn't make me granola enough....I've taken it one step further.

I bought an Amber teething necklace.

Go ahead, laugh if you must.  Even I don't always recognize the holistic, hippy mom I've become, but when you've been dealing with a teething toddler, non stop, for TWO months and only have ONE new tooth to show for all the pain and suffering...you'll try just about anything.

Honestly, I was getting tired of giving him Tylenol and Motrin constantly.  Might as well have tapped a vein as often as we were giving it.  When his eyes lit up like Christmas at the mere sight of the bottle, his hands clapping, his mouth opening like a little bird....I decided we needed to find something new.

I bought some of the "black market" Humphrey's Teething tablets now that they're back on the shelves.  They work OK....better than orajel which was a big waste of time, but not the relief I was hoping for.

I had seen several of the moms on my cloth diapering message board talk about these teething necklaces, so I looked into it.

Amber is a natural pain reliever.  When worn, the warmth of the skin causes succinic acid to be released, helping with all sorts of pain.  Arthritis.  Back pain.  And yep you guessed it, teething.  The amount of positive reviews and testimonials I found was astounding....enough for me to click "Add to basket" and check out faster than you can say "molars are the devil."

There are several different ones you can choose from in a variety of shapes and colors.  They say the lighter the stone, the more succinic acid it contains, making it slightly more effective than the darker ones.  I went with a multi-colored one since the light butter yellow was sold out.  Figured this way, I was at least getting some of the lightest stones.

 We've only had it a few weeks and unfortunately daycare won't let him wear it there.  Said it's a choking hazard.  I tried to explain that each stone is individually knotted so if it were to break, the most that would come off is one stone....but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.  They already think I'm a little crazy, what with the cloth diapering and all.  I think this was too much for them.  Disappointed, I gave in without much of a fight.

I wasn't giving up all together though, at home it's pretty much on all the time.  At night I put it around his ankle, and on the weekends he wears it 24/7.  I honestly can't say I've noticed a HUGE difference.  Certainly not the night and day turn around some people claim, but a big part of me knows that not wearing it consistently probably has a lot to do with it.  I can say however, that we've definitely stopped giving Motrin as much.  So to me, that's worth it.  Plus the darn thing is pretty cute.  I can't believe how many people comment on it when we're out!

Have any of you tried one??  What are your teething lifesavers?

Hide-n-Seek

Hi my son's name is Jamie....and he's addicted to his paci.

Long gone are the days where we only use it at night or in case of emergencies.

You see with the Teething Armageddon of 2011, we've caved on numerous occasions.  Parent fail.

So imagine this mama's frantic search Friday when it was "nigh-nigh" time and old faithful was no where to be found.

Desperate, I found an old one in his drawer that seemed to work just fine.

Crisis averted.

Well no more than 5 minutes later I went to feed the dog and discovered this.....

Apparently my son has also developed a little game of hide and seek.

Too bad he didn't clue his mama on to this.

Not one of my finer mom moments

This weekend my bestie and her 15 month old little girl were in town to visit.

After a great morning at the park and an afternoon at the pool we loaded up the kids and went to dinner.

About 15 minutes in, Jamie decided he was DONE.

He did not want to eat, so he threw his food everywhere.

He did not want to be sitting in the highchair, so he did everything in his power to get up.

And most importantly, he wasn't going to do any of this quietly.  He wanted to make sure every last person in that restaurant knew he was there.

It was the worst restaurant meltdown I've personally experienced as a mom.

I tried all the usual tricks...but nothing worked.

To make matters worse, my friends daughter was the epitome of good child behavior.

She sat quietly.  Ate her food.  Played games when she was done.

Was my friend judging my mom skills?  Absolutely not.  But I was judging myself big time.

Embarrassed beyond belief, I lost my mom cool.

At one point I actually grabbed his arm and in my stern mom voice told him

"You're being ridiculous.  This behavior is unacceptable"

Which backfired completely and only magnified the screaming.

Duh. 

Not exactly sure how I thought my 1 year old was going to react to that.

His reasoning skills are pretty much non-existent.

And the word "no" is pretty much his least favorite word in the English language.

As I handed him off to my husband to be taken outside it dawned on me.

He had a busy day.  He's teething.  And he only had 1 nap.  It's now almost bedtime and I'm expecting way too much.  I'd pushed him too far, and then I yelled at him for acting out.

Mom fail.

This toddler business is tough work.  Just when I think I'm loving his new found independence, I'm reminded of the sometimes not so fun stuff that comes along with it.  I also have to tell myself it's normal.  He's testing his boundaries.  This is what kids do and it doesn't mean I'm a bad mom or that I'm doing something wrong.  It just happens. 

So this morning when I was in the pediatricians office for the big one year checkup, and we're going over all the things an average 1 year old should be doing, the nurse asks

"Does he demonstrate some negative behavior"

I actually laughed out loud and said, yep, he's got that one down.