No accidents!

It went by like nothing but when we were counting pompous I realized Erin hadn't had any accidents today! I am so proud of her! I am trying to think if she had one yesterday or not. I think she did but I can't remember just when. I am so proud of her! I have to remember to keep being positive and praising her. Chris' next day off we are taking her out to go shopping for a doll. I am super excited!

Cookies galore

Well it's well into the night and I am still revved up (in spite of my not large meal with the geodon). I just finished creating two and a half culinary masterpieces... Sort of. You see tomorrow, actually it would be after today now, the kids and I are going to a Halloween party playdate. It's at the home of one of the girls that does a ton of pinterest stuff. She is actually the one that got me turned on to the site. But she has been sick lately because she's pregnant (morning sickness does not just strike in the morning). So she hasn't had time to do one of her fabulous spreads. So I volunteered to do all the treat stuff she had pinned for Halloween to bring over. It was caramel apple bites, pumpkin rice Krispy treats, and witch hat cookies. I'm also going to bring the bags of Halloween pretzels which I originally signed up for.
But I just finished making the witch hat cookies. They were super simple and I was going to make them with Erin but I thought I'd go ahead and do them now.

I finished up before that the rice Krispy treats. The picture she had pinned was just that, so there was no specific recipe. So I googled just how to make rice Krispy treats (because it's been forever since I've done that) and I found on the official site a really cute idea of rice Krispy surprise pumpkin treats. Which is what I ended up making. Really fun with a chocolate surprise in the middle. I did have to modify it because I couldn't get green gum drops, so I used jelly beans instead. Also I used tubed frosting instead of canned. It went a lot quicker on the decorating but I had forgotten how long it took to do the marshmallows! For-ev-er!

Anyway. I had started the treats while I was waiting on the Carmel apple bites to cook. My night started after the kids went to bed with some help from my hubby. He helped me chop up the apple into very small bits as well as mix the cookie dough while I cooked the filling. Then he scooped out the dough into the proper amount while I had a repeating run of bathroom breaks. Then I released him to go watch some tv and unwind while I finished up. Well I filled the cookies and got them in the oven. But I knew I'd have to let them cool after they were done which is why I started on something else. Then I never went back to them because I'm a bit intimidated by the recipe. It is pretty simple but it seems like it should be harder so I'm a little scared. But I figure I will do it during quiet time while Erin is on her iPad and Paul is napping. We shall see. Pictures to come! Night night. If I can fall asleep. I am so pumped I even put in a load of dishes and laundry to run instead of the last step of the cookies. But I've got to get some sleep now. Night

The Danger of Yelling At Your Kids

from:
http://shine.yahoo.com/team-mom/calmer-mom-193400104.html


If you've found yourself shrieking at your child - and regretting it - this advice is for you.

My husband, our two kids, and I were enjoying an idyllic trip to Hawaii, driving up the winding (and dangerous) Road to Hana and taking in the beauty of the cliffs and coastline. And then it happened. For no apparent reason, my son, then age 5, threw a water bottle from the backseat toward my husband, and it hit the windshield with a ferocious bang. By some miracle, we didn't crash, but we did lose control...big-time. Both my husband and I were ranting, raving, screaming, threatening: "Why would you do that? Don't you know we could have been killed? Here we are taking you on the vacation of a lifetime, and you throw a water bottle for no reason?" And on and on we went, spewing way more venom than our preschooler could ever deserve or even comprehend, for that matter.
Related: Stop Fighting with Your Kid
Tears began rolling down our son's cheeks, and his lip quivered as he fought back sobs. After what I'm sure seemed like an eternity to him, we calmed down and continued on our way, and I tried to bury the incident in the back of my mind.
I had almost forgotten all about it when, a few weeks later, I replayed our Hawaii-trip video. There I was, recording a waterfall out the window of the car. I tucked the camera into its bag - accidentally leaving it still recording - and then the "water bottle incident" occurred. Though the screen was black, I heard my husband and myself screaming at our son, badgering him, shaming him.
Then it was my turn to fight back tears. How could I have freaked out like that in front of my kids, at my kid? The rant sounded so much more vicious and vile than I remembered its having been, but there it was on tape - proof that I was the worst mother in the world. I may have erased that incident from the vacation video, but I don't think I'll ever be able to erase it from my memory.
Like it or not, most of us parents flip out in front of our dear children from time to time. Sometimes the anger is aimed at them, other times not, but it's almost always a deeply unsettling experience. Fortunately, there are simple - sometimes surprising - steps you can take to repair the damage, not to mention avoid meltdowns in the future.

The High Price of Losing It
First, recognize that regularly lashing out at or in front of your kids isn't par for the parenting course. It can do some very real damage to their psyches, says psychologist Matthew McKay, Ph.D., a professor at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, and coauthor of When Anger Hurts Your Kids. "Studies have shown that parents who express a lot of anger in front of their kids end up with less empathetic children. These kids are more aggressive and more depressed than peers from calmer families, and they perform worse in school. Anger has a way of undermining a kid's ability to adapt to the world," McKay says.
Related: Marriage Myths You Shouldn't Believe
Gulp. And the younger the kid, the bigger the impact, experts say. "When children are little, you're their universe," says psychologist Robert Puff, Ph.D., author of Anger Work: How to Express Your Anger and Still Be Kind. "When you get angry, their world is shaken. By the time they get older, they have friends and other people in their lives to turn to, and that minimizes the impact." Also worth noting: The occasional, nonabusive freak-out is generally much less damaging than regular fireworks, which send a child the message that he or she is not safe and that there's something wrong with him, says McKay.
That said, kids can actually learn an important lesson from seeing you lose your temper and then regain your cool. "This provides an opportunity to show kids that we all get angry, but what really counts is how we repair things afterward," says McKay. Here, the step-by-steps for doing just that.

When You Shriek at Your Kids

Real-mom meltdown: When Jennifer*, of Huntington Beach, CA, went to visit Disneyland with her three kids, she didn't realize the "happiest place on Earth" would be the setting for one of her ugliest parenting moments. "It was a big outing for us, and the park was very hot and crowded that day," she recalls. "Two of my kids have cystic fibrosis and could use a special pass to bypass the lines. But my 13-year-old went and lost his. Out of nowhere, I yelled, 'You've got to be bleeping kidding me. What the hell is wrong with you?' Immediately, my son started to cry. He had never heard me swear or be so mean to him, and he was devastated. Everyone standing around us was looking at me in disgust. I had to keep apologizing. Tears were streaming down my face because I had obviously hurt him so much."
A University of New Hampshire study found that 90 percent of parents admitted to having hollered at their children, ages 2 to 12, within the course of a year (the other 10 percent must have either been angels or had selective memories).

Related: 10 Etiquette Rules You Didn't Know You Were Breaking

To avoid a scream-fest, try this trick: In that white-hot moment of anger, visualize your child as a baby, says Sandra P. Thomas, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and coauthor of Use Your Anger: A Woman's Guide to Empowerment. "Older kids and teens are not adorable like babies, and sometimes they can be very obnoxious," she explains. "When you remember them as the babies they once were, that can do some good."
So can taking a break. "If you're able, take a time-out and walk into another room, even if it's just for a minute or two," says psychologist Laura J. Petracek, Ph.D., author of The Anger Workbook for Women. The key here is getting some literal distance from the situation and recovering your sense of calm.
If your anger has already boiled over, the most important thing now is to own up to what you've done wrong. Don't give in to the temptation to blame your child for triggering your outburst. "Say, 'I am very disappointed at your carelessness, but I shouldn't have yelled like that. It was wrong for me to lose it in that way, and I'm very sorry,' " advises Thomas. (Tip: Don't overdo the apology - if you dwell on it, it can make a kid feel as if he's truly been victimized.) Then promise that you will try your best not to do it again, comfort your child as needed, and move on.

When You Spar With Your Spouse

Real-mom meltdown: Angie*, of Seattle, says life has been particularly stressful since her husband lost his job - and their arguments sometimes play out in front of daughter Lexi, age 3. "Just last night, I was yelling at him for not cleaning the house," she confesses. "Lexi came over, tugged on my shirt, and said, 'Be nice to Daddy.' The look in her eyes was one of terror; it stopped me in my tracks. We eventually made up and tried to assure her that Mommy and Daddy still loved each other, but I don't know if she bought it."
It can be devastating for a child to see her parents get furious with each other, warns Charles Spielberger, Ph.D., a psychologist who specializes in the study of anger at the University of South Florida. It's important to circle back quickly and do damage control. Don't try to explain the situation away by reciting a laundry list of ways in which your spouse provoked you - this will only further embroil your children in the drama and stress. "Instead, you might say, 'I was really mad at your dad earlier. We've talked about it, and we're working it out. People who live together get angry sometimes. We're sorry for yelling. We still love each other,' " Thomas recommends. Even if you still want to throttle your spouse, telling your kids you are smoothing things over will help ease their fears and make them feel more secure.
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If you can, emphasize what you'll do differently next time, says Jerry Deffenbacher, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Colorado State University, who studies anger issues; this will help a child learn from the experience. For instance: "I was mad that your dad burned the garlic bread, but I apologize; I shouldn't have shouted at him like that. I was frazzled from a really hard day. Next time, we'll remember to set the kitchen timer when we use the oven."
Keep further comments to a minimum. Overexplain yourself, and you could wind up turning your kid into a mediator or therapist, cautions Puff. There's no need to drag her even deeper into your drama.

When You Argue With a Stranger

Real-mom meltdown: While Fiona*, of Detroit, was buckling her youngest son into his car seat after a trip to a bakery, an older driver pulled up near her and began honking. "He was screaming, 'Close your f--door!' without having given me any warning that I was blocking his spot. I raged right back, 'Can't you see I'm putting my baby in his car seat, you $%*#@?!' My tween in the backseat was pretty rattled by my outburst, and I felt horrible about it."
Your first instinct might be to apologize to your kids for having gotten mad - but don't. Everyone gets angry, so you shouldn't be sorry for having experienced this emotion. (This is especially important if you have daughters - girls from a young age are told they shouldn't show anger, says Puff, encouraging them to bottle up their feelings.)
Instead, tell the kids what set you off. Explains McKay: "You might say, 'That man said something that really hurt my feelings, and I got very upset.' " Next, apologize for how you expressed your anger. "Make sure they know that swearing - or whatever you did - was not the appropriate reaction," says Thomas. "Emphasize that you would never want them to act that way." Also say you are sorry if your outburst scared or embarrassed them. (Let's face it - it probably did.) Explain that you let your emotions get the best of you, and that you'll handle it better next time. And then comes the real challenge: making sure that you do.


Short-Circuiting Your Anger
To keep your cool going forward, follow these ground rules:

• Ask the right question When a child is being difficult and your temper is about to flare, follow this advice from McKay: Instead of thinking, Why is he doing this to me?, focus on the child; he's probably acting out for a reason. Is he hungry, bored, tired, or in need of attention? Try to meet his need instead of letting your anger get the best of you.
• Keep an anger journal that documents when you lose your cool. "Look for patterns - what time of day do you get angriest? Under what circumstances?" advises Deffenbacher. "Once you identify those anger 'flash points' in your life, brainstorm ways to minimize them." You can even get your kids in on the act: Say, "It irritates me when you ignore your chores - how can we make this a better situation?" By giving your kids a voice, you're empowering them to be part of the solution.
• Minimize marriage spats "In a calm moment, you and your spouse should agree to handle your next argument differently," Deffenbacher says. "Give yourselves permission to walk away if you're getting too angry in front of the kids. Develop a code word for when you are getting really mad, and let that signal that you'll discuss the issue later, in private, when you're calmer."
• Talk through your emotions out loud when you're with your kids and a stranger annoys you. "Say, 'Wow, that person just cut me off - how rude! But maybe there's an emergency she had to deal with, or she just didn't see me. Whatever the case, I'm not going to let it ruin my day,' " recommends Deffenbacher. By doing this, you're modeling how to handle life's everyday frustrations - and how to control your anger before it controls you.

-By Julie Taylor

Fighting Me: Potty Training

I've been trying so hard to be a Proverbs 31 Woman that it's making me crazy.  Being a P31W is not what's driving me crazy, it's what satan has been throwing at me.  His latest is Erin's potty training.  It's been getting to me emotionally really hard.  I know it's not a reflection of how I'm doing as a parent, but there is a little whisper that says differently and compares me to others (or even myself with her earlier accomplishments) whenever I try to reassure myself.  The hardest part for me is that I've blown up at Erin so many times, I know she's lost confidence in me as a safe haven.  I am no longer a safe person for her, she feels.  I don't want her to feel that way, and I certainly don't want her to remember those things.  I'm just so tired of her peeing in her panties.  I don't know why I don't have the strength or willingness to do it, but I don't.  I've prayed about it, too.
But Erin gets sent home every day with a bag full of wet clothes and it really bothers me.  I know they don't want to keep changing her, and they shouldn't have to.  Their rules state that if she can't be dry to send her in a diaper.  So I know they must be getting annoyed. 
The thing is I'm ready to give up and just put her in a diaper for the rest of her days.  But whenever I think about it I know she loves being in big girl panties.  I know she can do this, I just know it.  It just seels like whenever she's out she has a problem.  And she's so strong willed!!!  She won't go when I ask her to even just sit. 
So today, there are two of us home (I was going to send Paul away with Nana and have Erin by myself at home all day, but Chris is home today so that works too).  And I figure we can get this figured.  So far she's been telling us when she needs to go.  I haven't been asking her like a hundred times today, which is nice.  I'm just worried about when we go out.  That seems to be the trouble spots.  I think we're gonna have to go out and get some groceries later today... maybe we will test it then.  If she just went to the bathroom and at least just sat when I asked her to, that would be helpful because then I could just do it whenever we arrive someplace or what not. 

Erin Prays

We encouraged Erin to do the final prayer for the night, and it was so sweet... I almost cried.  She prayed for everyone, some people toward the end took some prompting, but when she started with praying for paul and mama and dada... **sniff, sniff**  it was so sweet.

Whimsical Wednesday

Today was an interesting day.  My fb status was:

It's rainy outside, and I feel as bad as it looks. I know if I were alone I'd just get right back in bed and try to go back to sleep with the hopes of a better start when I wake again. But, since I've got two kids I'm gonna put on my super-mom big girl underwear and have fun. I vow that we will not spend all day in front of the TV... and goldfish and justice for all!

Well... that should explain it all, but... let me start over.

It was rainy this morning, it opened up for a few hours in the afternoon though.  I'm having left over sinus problems (not really congestion, but yuck) and don't really feel like doing much of anything.  But I was determined... the TV would be turned off... eventually.  It took a while, but the kids started playing on their own for a while.  I built them a little fort area with all the pop-up tents and tunnel.  They had fun in that for a while.  We made some popcorn, then sat down in front of the TV again (I'm really kicking myself over the TV thing today.  All that kept going through my mind was how TV causes ADD.). 

I finally got an idea, all on my own, for a project for us to do.  But it was somehow time for Paul to already go to naptime.  I was inspired by all those wreaths on Pinterest.  I wanted to do something like that.

I took Erin into the playroom and we did some cutting.  I went and got a paper plate for me and gave her some construction paper.  While she concentrated on her single snips, I cut out the center, so that all was left of the rim of the paper plate (FYI I used the thick, slightly more pricey paper plates that we buy to eat off of... I've said it before, Chris has expensive taste.  But I do buy them in bulk, so that helps.  But I suggest this type for this project so that it has a rounded rim). 

At first I was going to take some ribbon that I had laying around (a fun mini mouse pink ribbon) and wrap it around.  Then I thought about tying it on and letting the ribbon hang, but then I thought that would look better if it was tulle.  So I nixed the ribbon.  Then I thought about some flowers, so I grabbed some tissue paper and looked up on Pinterest how to create some tissue paper flowers.  But even the simple ones would have been too complicated for Erin to do.  So I decided to just cut the paper into rectangles (5"x7" apx) by following the folds.  I chose three different, yet coordinating, sheets and cut them up. 

Rather than making flowers, I had Erin wad up the paper, then we glued them to the bottom of the paper plate rim.  It was pretty fun.  We only got the wreath half way done, but I can already tell it's already one I'll be ready and willing to hang on our front door.  I'm excited to proudly show off the crafts my kids do. 

It got me thinking about making a fall one (the colors I chose originally were more wintery because I didn't have any fall or halloween type colored tissue paper), and thought about using a different type of flower thing I had seen on Pinterest.  So I got to work on that.  I had to cut them out without Erin around.  It's looking like I'll have to put them together by myself, too.  But I can probably have her help out on placement and maybe gathering up a few leaves to put on it, too... I don't know where the leaves are that we would pick up because there are no big trees around. 

But when she started getting restless and he woke up... and after I fed them the rice I had just made with a fruit cup on the side... it was back to TV.  Rapulzel started playing, and they really got engrossed into that.  But I started feeling guilty again.  I mean, no wonder my kids are so ADD already.  Gotta keep it off and keep them away.  It's just hard when there's two of them and just one of me. 

SO I started thinking of things we could do to get some extra energy out.  Zoo!  Perfect... but nobody wanted to go with us.  By the time I decided we should go ahead and just go, I knew Erin would fall asleep... so we just went for a drive.  She fell asleep before I made it to McD, so I was able to get some ice cream.  :)

When we got back home, though, She woke up, went back to sleep for maybe 30 minutes... and was a compleate B for a while. 

Paul needed to take his second nap, even though it was getting late.  So once Dada came home, and after a few fits, he took Erin to the grocery store while I put Paul down for a nap and tried to get some rest myself.  But I think that cup of tea in the morning was still rolling away.

But the day went better, minus the tons of fits.  Erin didn't get enough pom poms, but they did get some time playing outside when they rode their bikes and ran around in the open area with Nissi and Canaan.  It was a good ending for the day. 

POST POST:  We finished the wreath the next day and this is what it looks like:

I think I'll hang it on the door when the time comes, maybe add a few snowflakes hanging from it, but otherwise pretty cool for a kid craft I created. 

Sept 20

Sept 20, 2012

Well its dark now but today had been interesting.
All day I've been thinking about something that aught my mind this morning.  Every morning I go thru at least 2 Pediasures when I get the kids their morning drinks.  Sometimes three, rarely four.  But with all these Pediasures we go thru I fill up at Sams Club and get about four cases at a time.  But I was emptying the second one into Paul's sippie cup and kept thinking "what can I do with all these bottles?"  I remembered the Gerber's Puffs snowman, so automatically I thought of snowmen... then maybe trees, then... yeah, that's about as far as I got.  Vases, maybe?  I don't know.  I can't think of anything, but I've got a ton of them.  So far all I've been doing with them after they're empty is throwing them away.  There's got to be something I can do with them.

Anyway, the day went on with minor things going on.  We got ready and went to McDonalds (how I got them in the car) then to school.  After I dropped them off, I went home and quickly picked up the trash, then went back out for a couple of back to back appointments.  One was in Owasso, the next was in Claremore, so I didn't quite make it to the second on time.  Then I went for a drive to Broken Arrow to pick up some drawer/bins for the kids room at their Lowes (ours were out and they're on clearance so they're not getting more).  I'm really excited to get them up and see what it all looks like.   But because I was out all day it meant that I kept the kids in aftercare for a little bit. 

When I picked them up they both went to sleep and I went to work on the first box of bins.  Went up pretty good and easy.  Tried to get a little rest myself, but no luck there.  I kept getting texts and calls every time my head hit the pillow. 

Anyway, so when they got up we went for a wagon ridethen ate some ramen and peaches for dinner.  Pretty uneventful... that was until Dada decided to call.  He decided to call and Erin was on the potty.  It was actually perfect timing cause she was sort of refusing to go because she wanted Dada.  We were glad to talk to him and he helped a little, but Paul was messing around with stuff.  He got in trouble for flushing the toilet numerous times.  I kept placing him outside the bathroom, then he'd come right back in.  He started messing with the empty trashbin (it has a heavy lid on it), and because I was paying attention to the Erin and Dada thing I didn't notice it when Paul dropped one of the items on his toe.  I heard the piercing cry followed by outright crying, he had definetly hurt himself.  I immediately grabbed him up and checked him over, pressing on him and prodding him.  Nothing brought up an additional squeal.  So I hung up and headed out.  He was still crying and wouldn't stop.  Then Erin started crying because she wanted to talk to dada some more.  He called back and everyone was in tears, so I didn't talk other than to tell him I'd talk later. 

The night went on and I only noticed his toe when I started get his PJs on.

This is where he had gotten hurt in the bathroom.  He must have dropped the heavy top on his big toe.  :(  I feel aweful about this.  It was swollen and tender to the touch. 
And so he went to bed, and Erin got to stay up.  But after her first show, before she got to watch her second for the night we counted the pom poms.  She hadn't gotten enough, so she would have to go to bed without a reward. 
Before I started the second show I reminded her and reiterated that she would be going to bed right afterwards.  Well, after the show she went to her bed very willingly... until she discovered that she could turn the lights back on.  Then hell broke loose again.  She refused to sleep in her bed and I told her I'd come get her when I was done.  That quieted her down for a little bit.  Long enough for me to get a couple of bins built (I couldn't hang them because the lights are burnt out in the playroom), but then she started getting loud again.  So I decided to pack it up and call it a night.  She joined me in the bedroom while I gave myself a shot (which didn't go all that well... the needle wasn't deep enough).  She then wanted to sleep in the living room... turns out she just wanted to play in the living room and read her book.  Now, I've got nothing against reading... I want her to read more.  But it was time for bed.  So I had her sleep in Chris' spot. 

First Pinky-Promise

Well, I was just about to write, very smugly, about how its 9 o'clock and both my children are in bed without fuss or fighting.  Erin had easily walked into her bed, no iPad needed, on her own free will, and laid down.  And just as I was thinking about this blog and about to eat a celibratory ice cream cone, Paul wails out... surely due to Erin having taken his binkey.  But I walked in and gave him another one... more screaming that didn't last long.
Anyway, about today:  A wonderful day on my own... sort of.  Chris left today for Vegas for Mary's funeral.  We had a good morning together, but then the afternoon came.  We had a lot of fun. 
I made some colored rice, with Erin's help, and when Paul woke up we all went outside and played with it.  Well, I thought they'd have fun with them in the ice trays, but Paul promptly poured them all out over him.  "Okay, we can do that, too".  It lasted for a little bit, and then an idea popped in my head.  Glue.
So I ran in the house and brought out glue and construction paper.  We had a good old time placing glue on the paper then spilling the rice over it.  Erin got the hang of what to do right away.  It was the same thing we've been doing with the torn papers on the paper bags.  But Paul was having none of our craft time today and waved his hand back and forth through the glue and rice.  He only stopped when he realized it was sticking to his hands.  His hands were covered in rice and it wasn't coming off.  It was a very cute look on his face while he was trying to figure it out. 
We did some play time, eating picnic style while watching Ice Age (I think they both liked it), stalking school buses, and then a nap for Erin.  We went to Nanas to put her down, and after some play time Paul went down, too.  When everyone woke up we ate then played some more outside.  Because we played in a muddy sandbox (and were still covered with glue, rice, and marker marks) I hosed them down rather than bath time (it would have been too hard to wrangle them for that).  We got them inside and mostly dressed then it was time to head home. 
We did prayers and Paul went down, whyning and crying a little, but was finally asleep by the time Erin went to bed.... and well, we went over what just happened then. 
But bedtime was reasonable for Erin.  We watched the Chocolate Tree episode of Dora, and I promised her we could watch a My Little Pony afterwards.  But between the shows we counted her pom poms.  She didn't have enough to get a reward.  So I made her promise me that she would go to bed without a fuss.  If she did that, then she could have a reward.  But if she threw a fit, then I would take her reward away.  She promised.  She even did her first pinky-swear (pinky-promise).  We were dead serious though.  And it worked, no fuss.  It was a great releif.  I was worried with Chris not being here, but it was all okay.
We had a bit of a hick-up (and it was partially my fault, I'm sure).  Right towards the begining of My Little Pony Erin got up and, I think because she didn't want to leave the room because she kept her eyes on the tv almost the whole time, proceeded to pee on the living room carpet!  Urgh.  I was frustrated, but it was okay.  I talked very sternly to her and just kept repeating things, and trying to make her repeat them "You have to tell Mommy when you need to go potty.  So when you need to go potty, what do you need to do?" etc.  Dora's rules of repitition.  It calmed us both down.  I do feel guilty for the light tap of a spanking (not a full on spanking) I gave her and for making her feel bad by me saying "I'm very sad" quite a bit.  But hopefully it'll sink in.  I know she's got the potty training thing down.  I just have to remind her sometimes.  It's just that it feels like that's all I do is ask her if she's got to go.  I know she tells her teachers when she needs to go.  She will get there.
See, I'm already in a better mood.  This medicine is working.
Allright, two and a half ours past the begining of this post... it's definetly time for bed.  Chris, if you're reading this: know that all went well and I love you.

Bus Stalkers

So because Erin won't go peacefully to her nap in the afternoon I've taken to getting her in the van and driving around until she falls asleep. Some times we barely get out of the neighborhood while other times I'm driving around for what seems like hours!
Well today seemed like it was going to be one of the longer days. It took me a while to convince her that it was either nap time or time to go for a drive. I finally convinced her with a bribe of fries. She didn't seem all that tired, but she had started slowing down so I thought I'd try.
We got in the car, barefoot, and headed out. The school bus was in front of it. She loves school buses so we followed it for a while. But just a little while. I figured since we were going to be up for a while we might as well get some food.
We drove thru mcd and got them each a small order of fries. She was so happy and didn't seem like she was going to go down, so I called nana to see if she wanted to help me with them if we went through claires to get Erin some more earrings. We picked up nana but right after we left the neighborhood Erin was out. Oh well. We will go there some other time. Maybe just her and me while someone else watches Paul.
But anyway... I loved it when we were in the car chasing down school buses. I recommend it to anyone that needs to get out of the house. It was a perfect time. We both were smiling and having fun

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So, needless to say I am addicted to Pinterest. When I'm on my computer or my iPhone I am almost always looking at it or Facebook. Which would be fine if I maybe actually did the stuff I pinned. I started a revolution for myself, and for my children. Erin has to keep telling me to put my phone down and I've started realizing I don't want my kids to be that way. I don't want her to think I'm ignoring her to spend time with my phone instead of her. So I've really had to cut it down. I might just have to take a pinning or facebook fast and get it out of my system. I don't want my kids to think I don't love them or that I'm ignoring them. So I have put my phone down. I'm only on the computer now because Erin really wanted to watch Cinderella and our version is very scratched up. I remembered a pin that has all the Disney movies on it, so I'm just looking that up (and sharing these quick thoughts with you), then I'm off.