How To Create A Calm Environment

(When The Piles Are Bigger Than You)

 

I’m writing this because yesterday was the kind of day where the kids would leapfrog their naps.

Where I actually prayed for Kamie to go back to sleep. 
Bronz sensed my desperation – After subtle hints. Oh whatever, Yeah, I don’t really do anything subtle. 

So he took Kamie with him to run to the feed store… I knew I had at least 40 minutes of peace and quiet. 

I surveyed the disaster. 

And…

>Drumroll<

Here’s my 40 minute recipe for making a stab at restoring order.

Use Bleach Like Perfume

Dab strategically. 

I put a squirt of dish soap a splash of bleach, and some water in a bucket, and go to town.

(Actually I use splash-less bleach.  Amazing.  It’s completely saving my wardrobe.  I found it at my grocery store, and it has a gel like consistency.)

 

Beautiful Music

Even if you’re not really into the classical music thang. 

(I did that on purpose, they’re all grinding their teeth.  And you can tell what genre of music I prefer.)

While you’re at it light a couple candles, and if you have any yummy scented plug-ins get those going too.

 

Attack The Worst Area

And keep it to an area.  When it’s completed move to the next. 

Don’t go and try to do the whole place at once.

 Y’know there’s only one of you.

 

Use Your Time Saving Devices

Washing Machine

Dishwasher

Crockpot

Breadmaker

These are your servants, put ‘em to work.

 

Hit The Floor

I bleach scrubbed my kitchen floor, and ran a vacuum over the rest of the main floor.

Much, much better.

 

Don’t Take A Bubble Bath 0r Sit Down

This is a sure-fire way of guaranteeing someone will immediately wake up or come home.  I know it’s unscientific, but believe me, it’s been proven my whole life.  Even, back to the days of babysitting siblings.

If you absolutely have to relax,  Do what I did.  Make coffee.  Ice it.  Pour some yummy creamer in there.  Look at the three rooms that look amazing.  Lean against the counter.

Don’t think about the porch which proves evolution wrong –nothing, spontaneously gets better. 

 

Ta Da!

 

Postscript:  Then last night, or rather early this morning Blake woke up.  I put him in bed right beside me, about 5 minutes later he started getting sick all over me.  Disgusting.  After bathing both of us.  And then taking him downstairs so I could clean our bed up … he started all over again.  All night long this was repeated.  Bronz and I took shifts.  Whoever he got sick on had the following nap.  By 5:00 a.m.  We were running low on blankets to wrap him up in.  Bless my man’s very sweet heart.  (Cuz’ he hates puke even more than I do.)  He took the 5:00 to 8:30 shift and I finally got some sleep.  I didn’t even get called down to help with more clean-up assists.  And I bit my tongue when I heard about his Nyquil dosage.  The little man has been sleeping a lot today.  Leaving me lots of time to attack the laundry. 

 

So, this housekeeping stuff sort of feels like treadmill material.  Yet, it’s these things that create a serene environment for our family as well as ourselves.  Keep it up sisters.   How many great things were created without little steps?

 

Valentines Fun

 I adore simple crafts. (You see, I'm pretty simple myself.)  So had to pass along this idea.  Don't hold your breath, it's not overly profound just heartfelt. (ha ha)
My sweet Mom came over today, bearing gifts, of course. A fun new product, known as Glass Crayons.  I watched Kamie play with them, and patiently waited my turn.  Fun! Fun! Fun!  They write so nice.  I only lasted a little while on Kamie's glass before I took to our gigantic entryway mirror. And here's the project.
Operation Valentines Day:
I Love You
In every language of our family's ancestry.
This site helped greatly.
We ended up with
English
Danish
Swedish
Norwegian
German
Irish
Threw in some Navajo in a nod to the rumored Indian blood
and I drew the sign language symbol.
Can you feel the Liebe?

-Our Camera is hanging out with my sister, right now. (Accidentally, that is.) So no pictures -

The Challenging Child

I mentioned earlier that Kamie has had a Major attitude switch.  She has been demanding, frustrating, angry… etc.  The attitude started popping up about a year ago.  We drew battle lines on January 2, when she started crawling out of her crib. I thought that two weeks of consistent training should do it. (bahaha)  8 months later…

While she was generally better around other people, that wasn’t always the case, so I stayed home from lots of events to avoid gigantic temper tantrums. It might even have been funny if it wasn’t my child saying  “Meme push little kids”,  “I doesn’t like you mommy!” or have you asking “Why did you go potty on the counter?” (btw her answer, after shrugging shoulders was “Meme naughty”)  the worst part was how angry she was, at me and the world. The stiff back. Waking up in the middle of the night and hitting at me, while crying for me.

We had a break through… I hesitate to say the difference maker, cuz if you’re a mom going through this, and are at the I’ve-tried-everything point, it might just be frustrating…

But…

I took away things, I wasn’t sure if she would get the concept, but she did – and a Eureka attitude change resulted.  Favorite blankie, (covered her with a different blanket) pillow, stuffed animals etc.  I told her as I laid her down, that if she got out, Xyz was going to be gone until – either naptime was over, or I decided that her heart was happy.  I started with something she liked, and had her absolute favorite object be second to go. This gave her a bit of undeserved grace… she could tell I was serious. It kept me from continual warnings… And since it was only one object before her beloved red blankie… It also kept the timing short, so we weren’t spending the entire afternoon taking away inanimate objects.

So there you have it.  I’m really not sure if that was what changed her, or the fact that her little stubborn heart realized I would be blocking her at every turn, and she might as well give up. 

I cannot believe the change in her.  She’s happy. We can play together. She helps me.  Tantrums are waayy down – frequency and Richter scale.

Since you’re in the battle for the war….

1.       Train up a child in the way he/she should go.
This is your command. It helped me to continue, knowing that I was doing my job as a parent.

2.       Find Neutral Ground
We had the park and the car… Both Kamie was good in. It was very necessary for me to have some ‘breather’ times. Unless you’ve gone through this, you have no idea how demoralizing 8 months of consistent training with 0 visible results is.

3.       Get Support
Someone who is a little ahead of you… but not so far that they’ve forgotten the grittiness of it all.  A good friend, that you can call anytime or better yet who will call to check in on you –And the more you have the better.  I needed every single last one of mine!

4.       Avoid Detractors
Good friends, family… People you love, who love you. These are the ones who tell you what you are already doing in a knowing voice… Be consistent. Love them. Spank. They must have just had 3 easy – peasey kids. (Yours isn’t of the milk toast variety!) There will be other times to be close to them… right now it will just hurt your relationship, Cuz frankly, they are annoying, and you are over sensitive.

5.       Man Looks on the Outward Appearance
Now this may just be me… and how shallow I am, but I could deal better with Kamie if her hair wasn’t as messy as her ‘tude.  So I tried to dress her up, do hair and put lotion on her.  If we were having a good day I could care less what she looked like!

So while I’m completely overjoyed and feel ready to take on any parenting challenge…

I realize that

I have an end in myself

Nobody has it all together. Not everyone knows that (Don’t be the first to tell them)

Your child will act on their own free will

Coffee is wonderful

The Purgatory of Parenting

I've said it once, I'll say it again. 

Car Seats.

It really doesn't take a lot of explanation. Anyone who has buckled any child in knows it.  They are the price you pay for every mom misdeed, that cup of coffee you finished before picking up wailing infant, the day you forgot to take your pre-natal, the time you gritted your teeth and wished yourself on some abandoned island sans diaper bag.

Ever lugged one anywhere? They have to be carried three feet from your body like your arms needed toning, or something.

But today's chore is the absolute worst. 

Bravely, I say that I'm going to clean the car. 

Knowing that it entails taking apart two car seats...

which is really easy enough,

Washing them. 

FYI mine have been dried even though they tell you not to -

and didn't shrink. 

(Aren't you thankful that I discover things like that?) 

They probably just say not to dry so you take a.l.l day to wash them,

Or maybe it damages their hidden cameras. 

Can you hear it, The diabolical laughter?  As they watch yet another poor guilt stricken mother, agonize over the wretched hunk of plastic.

The putting-them-back-together is what gets me every time. 

I hate it. With a passion. 

Took me at least 40 minutes, and the manual the first time. That threader thingy they send along, does not work. Use a little pickle condiment spear. 

Mebbe I'm the only one so challenged.  Cuz' I set a timer for my 12 year old brother-in-law, he had it together in ten minutes. With a glance at the directions when he was finished to make sure he 'had done it right'. The boy is genius. Unfortunately (for me) he isn't around today.

The dryer just beeped. Wish me well.