Monday, May 11, 2015

Monday Momfessions: May 11 Week

Aka the Mother's Day Edition:

1. Raise your hand if the first thing you did on Mother's Day was change a poopy diaper. Yep, me too.    Insert jazz hands and "Happy Freakin' Mother's Day!" here. A mother's duty? Or is it doody?

2. I think I read somewhere by KS law that at least two mimosas are required by 11 a.m. on Mother's Day. Here's hoping you were as compliant as I was.

3. Related: in both KS and MO, a minimum of two giant cinnamon rolls is required for consumption. Did you meet your lawful obligations?

4. I secretly tried to get my Mother's Day present purchase out of my five year old for over a week. When he wouldn't budge even under conspiracy or bribery, I tried for the two year old. Darn limited vocabulary. 

5. The best part of my day was catching up with the DVR under a fluffy blanket, all alone, while one slept and the rest ran errands. Ok, ok, their warm hugs and kisses and darling cards and gifts were the best. But that DVR...definitely a close second. MCDREAMY?!

6. Speaking of McDreamy, I pretended to sleep in until 7 but really watched a whole second episode in the comfort and quiet of our bed while mass chaos ensured on the decks below. Shhhhh. What?! I thought this was totally allowed on this day! Mom code, right?!

7. There is nothing, nothing better than a little handprint trinket. Ok, maybe, MAYBE diamonds, but seriously. Their stinky pinkies and sausage hands are just so darn cute! Mike: next year - diamonds!

8. At one point this phrase may have been heard around this house: "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME ON MOTHER'S DAY?! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DAY OF RELAXATION AND APPRECIATION!!!!" Don't ask me who said it (and maybe in a not so relaxed tone) and please don't talk to my parents who may have a very similar story about a certain girl's 13-year old birthday party in which she kicked all of her friends out of the house for not properly playing Barbies...

9. The day before, I straight up did the grocery money trick and got my nails done. In gel and patterns. And didn't even feel guilty about it once. Not until we didn't have bread the next day...

10. In and out I was secretly weepy all day, the intense awesomeness of being a mother filling me with overwhelming gratitude. Luckily there was some sibling rivalry and daredevil toddler shenanigans to break it up a few rounds in between, but overall it was a mushy, squishy day of wonderfulness.

May you have felt cherished and celebrated and that it continues each day forward. Because Momma: you deserve it! 

Friday, May 8, 2015

A New Take on the Table Top

"You can't put that out there-they'll use them as pitching targets!" my husband said, eyeing the new coasters made of ceramic, glass and all things small boys would delight in using as play items. "Let's give it a shot. It's a good lesson in boundaries and Mama wants a little something to prettify this room," I countered.

The obsession to spruce up our coffee table hit hard and fast one rainy day as I sat in my cubicle, the grayness of the afternoon leaving me uninspired to write. So, as any smart gal does, I hit Target to add a little color to life (ok, and pick up Swedish Fish) in the form of affordable house decor.

Needing a bit of direction, I visited one of the design sites that never fails me and found a helpful video by Emily. Her advice was good - fill the table with simple things you love with clean lines - and the plan was easy to execute. For weeks I'd been eyeing a gold tray at Target and contemplating where it could live in our home. Couple that with a small jar of very real looking florals I already had, a decorative candle with a delicious smell and these fun coasters and I was nearly set:


The choice of coffee table books was trickier. I had done the test when hosting a small party several weeks before and plopped out any ol' large literature we had around the house. And lo and behold, guests did spend some time relaxing and taking a gander at their pics. With some surfing online, I got a few ideas in my head, then hit B&N to find covers and words that spoke to my heart or would be interesting to those that visited our home. We ended up with "Humans of New York," a design one for Moms that want to embrace their children, "The Beauty of Different," and an Anthro catalog.

The end product looked like this:
A nice change from it's neutral plainness that had been the center of our family room. And the boys? The temptation hits every once in awhile to run a train through or want to use the coasters as bases, but it's quickly subdued with a distraction, bribe or reminder that these are "Mommy's things."

And Mommy? Likes these small things. Sometimes, they make a big difference.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Appreciating Educators

"Alright parents - it's that time of year - time to show our support of our teachers!" her post read, outlining suggested events and sign ups for the year. This Mom too, deserved a note of thanks as she made organizing an entire school between her three kids and full-time job look easy. Thank gah for Moms like this!

Though there is never quite enough one could do to honor our extraordinary educators for partnering in raising our children, this year for Teacher Appreciation Week a group of parents rallied efforts around:
     Monday: indulge them with tasty breakfast
     Tuesday: send a loving note or picture on why your teacher is appreciated
     Wednesday: send snacks for an afternoon pick-me-up
     Thursday: sweeten their teeth with cookies
On Friday we added some bright blooms for our female teachers and a bar of chocolate that seemed to be appreciated last time for our male one.

It was so much fun to look for an excuse to bake mid-week and practice the art of gratitude with our children.

And although there could never be enough thankfulness for our teachers' tireless efforts day in and day out, may they know how much they are loved, appreciated and cherished in each moment. Their compassion and care are shaping our children to be just the kind of little souls we hoped they would, all while nourishing their own spirits that belong to just them.

This is a big, big job. And not one that goes unnoticed.

So thank you teachers - ours and all of you around the world, for doing the work you do each day and likely each morning and night when you're in your own home. May the celebration of this week be felt all year round, for it's truly deserved.