What's That All About?

I've been reading a few blogs, just very casually, as I happen across them in my Pinterest travels.  They're mostly by women, about womany things, like fashion, family, DIY projects, knitting...  and then I started to wonder, "What the heck is MY blog really about?".

Sitting here, half on the computer, half watching Logan play, I think I've figured it out.  

Don't Forget The Milk is about things that Moms think about.  The regular, boring stuff.  Housekeeping, making dinner, raising kids of all ages, and even those things we like to do in our ever-so-rare spare time.

And so, in danger of sounding a little too much like Elmo, guess what I've been thinking about today!  (*Ya-duh-duh-daaaa!*) 

Knitting and crocheting.  Mostly crochet, and more in particular, The Magic Circle.  I've been "commissioned" to make sets of chair and table socks for two separate ladies, and the best pattern I found was for a crochet version, but I'd never done it before.  Ever.  Knitting was pretty easy for me to pick up (thanks Mum for showing me how to get started!), so I knew crochet couldn't be too difficult.  It isn't, really, as far as the basic stitches go.  But for this chair sock pattern, it called for a Magic Circle to start the whole thing off...  "What the heck is that?" I asked myself.

And holy cow, Logan just stood on his own for a few seconds!!

Back to the story...

I went searching the internet; Google, YouTube, all the usual places, and every single tutorial I found assumed I knew one crucial piece of the Magic Circle puzzle.  Which I didn't.  Even tutorials with images or video skimmed over that one bit of info that would have made the whole thing make so much more sense.  I did eventually figure it out for myself.  And when I did, I swore I would post a better instruction on how to make a Magic Circle,

But not today.  I need Ryan here to take the pictures!

So, tell me:  If you had (or have!) a blog, what would (or is!) it be about?

Priorities

Logan is certainly my top priority.   Whatever he needs, I will do for him, in an instant.  Dishes and toilets can wait, laundry doesn’t really need to be folded, and a little dog hair on the carpets isn’t so bad, is it?  At the same time, I feel this unfounded guilt about not getting these things done!  Why?  My son is so much more important than housework, so why should I feel guilty about not having a clean house?  I don’t particularly care if the few guests I have look at my kitchen and cringe a little; I’m certainly not looking to impress anyone!  It’s a completely personal feeling, kind of like I’ve let myself down.  I know I don’t need to feel guilty about it, and really, I shouldn’t.  But I do, and it irritates me.

It irritates me because mess makes it hard for me to enjoy play time, or even my own down time at the end of the day.  Mess makes it hard for me to fall asleep, knowing what I get to wake up to.  I’ve felt this way even before Logan came along.  I don’t like clutter, untidy surfaces, dust, and most especially, dirty floors.  But for some reason, I can never seem to keep my house clean the way I like it.

Maybe I just need to erase this image that’s in my head of the perfect SAHM life, and start over. 

I meant for this post to be a lot longer, and more detailed, but my brain isn’t working like I want it to.  I guess it’s a little untidy at the moment, too!

Myths

I admit it, I fully believed a few myths about being a stay-at-home-mom.  They are being debunked, one by painful one...

Myth #1: You can nap when baby naps.

Yeah, right.  Either the baby naps and you end up doing the dishes and folding laundry, or the baby doesn't nap.  Logan has been doing a lot of the latter option these days.  For a few blissful weeks, I was on top of my laundry and my kitchen looked great when anyone came over.  Now, it looks like we're a couple of college kids who are babysitting our nephew for a week while his parents vacation in Vegas.

Myth #2: It's so wonderful to be at home all day!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being with my son every day, witnessing all the new things he learns and being entertained by all the amazingly cute things he does.  But being at home gets boring.  The only problem is, where do I go with no vehicle, other than the parks where Logan can't do a whole lot anyway?  And even if I do go somewhere, what do I do with very little to absolutely no budget for extras like coffee?

Myth #3:  Mommyhood is like a club.

If it's a club, I seem to be the only member so far...  I don't know many other moms.  Some of my friends have children, yes, but they are all quite busy with their own families and their work.  I'm the only SAHM I know.  It's kind of lonely sometimes, and the only songs that get stuck in my head these days are "Skinnermerinky" and the theme from Seasame Street.  A little more camaraderie would be great!

Myth #4:  I'll be able to do things like make Christmas gifts.

This one falls in with #1.  Logan doesn't tend to nap for very long if he does at all, and by the end of the day, I don't dare start knitting because I'll just end up taking the whole thing apart because of some stupid mistake anyways.

Even with all of these myths being blown away, I love what I do.  My son may not nap regularly (and please, if anyone has any tricks to get him to nap, please share!), but he is usually a very happy babe.  I love watching him grow, and playing with him, and discovering what he likes - and doesn't like...  Hell, I even love the housewife part of it.

I've mentioned it before, but I've always known I was meant for this particular job.  I would be a mom and run my home and raise my children while my husband worked to make it happen.  I am so lucky, and even blessed, that I can do this.  We don't have a lot of money, but we make what we do have stretch.  That itself is work!  I am infinitely more lucky that I have a husband who supports and even encourages me to stay home.  Someone told him that by the time Logan is 18 months old I'll be dying to go back to work.  While I can say that some days I think about it ever so briefly, I can confidently say that I know where I belong.  I am needed at home, and I feel I need to be here.

So, goodbye myths!  I will miss you, but I'll take reality and love it!

(And I apologize to anyone who doesn't get their Christmas slippers this year in advance...)

Beaches and Jello

It's August in the Okanagan, which means that it's the perfect time to hit the beaches.  The days aren't unbearably hot anymore, and the water is not too cold.  My favorite beach is just a few blocks from home, so Logan and I can easily walk there in the afternoon.  This beach isn't particularly busy, being right behind the hospital, and it has plenty of sand and grass and shade.  Did I mention plenty of sand?

I love taking Logan to the beach, but I hate dealing with the sand, especially since he gets it everywhere, and as soon as I get it off, he's right back in it.  Which isn't too bad before we go swimming, but once he's wet...  it's like trying to get glitter off your skin after going to the club. 

When I went to the beach a few days ago, I braved it on my own, knowing full well I had a cranky, wants-to-go-everywhere-myself kind of baby on my hands.  The experience wasn't too bad, except for the sand, of course.  My big mistake: trying to change Logan...  on the sand.  He wriggled and flipped and grabbed great fistfuls of gritty little grains, getting it all over the blanket and his wet skin.  I was nearly pulling at my hair it became so frustrating.  I finally did get his diaper on, and vowed to find a better way to do this next time.  It seems like such an obvious, simple thing, right?  Apparently not. 

It was a big revelation for me today on our way to the beach for another afternoon.  This time, instead of changing him on the sand, I wrapped him up and moved our "camp" up onto the grass, well away from any sand.  He was still a squirmy-worm, but at least he didn't shovel handfuls of sand all over himself.  I also let him crawl around naked for a while, to air-dry, and also just to be free.  Thinking of it now, I should have snapped a bum shot...  next time!

Today's beach trip went much smoother than the last one, even though Logan was getting into everything I didn't want him to, and dumped his applesauce all over the grass.  We had to move again after that, because the wasps were all over that stuff like...  wasps on applesauce.  But, all in all, it was quite relaxing for me, and Logan got to explore the grass and use up some energy.  He slept all the way home, and for about another hour (even after being transferred from stroller to crib!) when we got home.

At which point, I made Jello Dino Bones.  They're still setting up, and they won't be coming out of their molds until tomorrow, for my youngest nephews third birthday party.  I'm proud of them already, though.  Ryan and I tested the molds last week, and found that the Jello would need to be more stiff to stand up once it was removed from the molds.  To do this, I used only 2/3 of a cup each of hot and cold water, instead of a full cup.  

The other problem we had, was setting up the molds so they wouldn't fall over.  I found dinosaur bone sand toys at Superstore, and thought they'd make great Jello molds.  They do, but they need help to stand up when they're upside down and filled with Jello.  At first, we tried a towel, bunched up under the parts that needed support.  That sort of worked, but it wasn't sturdy.  Then I tried paper towels.  Again, not sturdy enough.  I thought, "I need something that will conform to the outside of the mold...".  

The answer was perfect:  sugar!  It's inexpensive enough that I wasn't worried about wasting any, and it should stand up to the use.  It's also a gluten-free item, and since my sister and I are both gluten-sensitive, I figured if any sugar gets on the Jello, it won't matter.  And, it holds the molds up perfectly!

 I filled the molds with lime and blue flavors to go with the color scheme of the party.  And because they taste awesome!  Then, as I was ever-so-carefully moving the trays of sugar and Jello (a little redundant, hey?) into the fridge, I realized it would have been SO much easier to fill the molds in the fridge.  Next time.

I can't wait to see my nephews face when he sees these awesome globs of gelatin dessert!

No Regrets

My follow-through does not have a good track record.  I have started so many projects in the past, made so many plans and decisions, and there are few I’ve actually stuck to or finished.  When I was in high school, I was sure I would write a book and spend my days painting.  I would make the time.  I was going to do it.  How many times have I said that I would get caught up and stay on top of housework?  Eat healthy and exercise regularly?  And the ones that make me feel like a horrible mother these days: read to my son and play lots of learning games, and go to the beach and the park and teach him to sign, use cloth diapers, make my own baby food, breast feed…  The list in this category goes on and on.

Today, all through another cranky-filled afternoon and evening (with no naps, I might add…), I’ve given quite a bit of thought to the things I really feel are the most important.  I know I’m not Superwoman, and I can’t do everything.  While I’d love to say I’ll just devote all of my waking moments to my son and do nothing but teach and play with him, that’s not entirely realistic, if I ever want to do laundry, never mind sleep.  Does every new mom face this choice?  Do we all have to pick and choose the things that are “best for baby” that are the most important to us?

I thought it might be helpful to make a list of the things I’m told by various sources that I should be doing.  I won’t bore you with my list.  When I’d made my list, I found that some items on it could be combined, such as “reading every day” and “establish a bedtime routine”.  Reading can be part of the routine.  My mom read to my sister and I every night.  I still have the books she read to us from the most.  That is a very fond memory that probably did me more good than if she used cloth diapers and made sure I learned my numbers “on time”. 

As I write this, I’m realizing that if I just look back at what I remember the most about my childhood, I’ll find what is important for me to do for my own child.  Sharing what I come up with here will help me to hold myself accountable for following through, too.

Mom read to me every night.  I want the same for my kids.

We had to brush our teeth every morning and every night.  It’s a good habit, and I will help my son learn it.

No matter the weather, we went outside to play; that was our exercise.  Same goes for Logan (and me!).

We were encouraged to try new foods, but never forced.  I will not force my child to eat something that makes him gag, but I will encourage him to try new and healthy foods.  I will also set an example by eating healthy foods and trying new ones myself!

The most important things to me, are to instill good, healthy habits as early as possible, and keep them up through my sons life.  As his parents, we are his role models, the example of goodness and responsibility he has to learn from.  It is our job to teach him, not just his ABC’s and animals, but how to take care of himself physically and emotionally, how to be a decent person, and many other things that will mostly come later.  But they all begin now.

And right now, the best thing I can do for my son, is to get myself to bed and sleep.

First Lesson: Time

Most of you reading this little blog of mine already know me.  I’m the girl you call Sister, or friend, or even “that girl I used to work with”.  In any case, it only seems right to do a little introduction anyway.  I won’t tell my life story, so don’t worry.  This won’t take long, and then we’ll get to the point.

I grew up knowing one thing for certain about myself:  whatever else I might try to be, I was going to end up being a Mom.  And it’s true!  I was pretty handy at drawing and painting, and while I still like to, that’s not what I’m meant for.  I worked in retail and customer service, A LOT.  I was good at it, I even enjoyed it, but once again, not what I’m meant for.  Then, I had a baby!  A boy my husband and I named Logan.  He became the center of my life, and I just knew I needed to be home to raise him.

So, now we get to the point.

.

Even though I’ve always known I’d be a stay-at-home-mom, I never really thought about exactly what that would mean.  I knew I’d raise my children, feed my husband, wash the laundry and do the housekeeping and grocery shopping…  I just didn’t give any thought as to HOW to accomplish all this.  Well, now I’m learning!  (I feel like I just confessed a whole lifetime of secrets!  PHEW, that feels better!)

This blog will essentially be my record of my new schooling.  I will post the lessons I’ve learned and the tips and tricks I find along the way, on many, many topics relating to raising children, housekeeping and homemaking, and holding on to something like sanity through it all.  How about I get started, then?

First Lesson:  Time goes by much too quickly.

I thought I knew this.  I really didn’t.  Just like every other parent out there, I’ve got to say that it seems like just yesterday my little Logan was born.  In fact, it was six months ago!  Over these past six months I’ve learned a lot of little lessons, but the biggest has been how quickly time flies when you’re watching your children grow. 

 

A couple of weeks ago I put away another batch of clothes that are too small for L, and took out all the clothes from 6-12 months.  Some are still too big, and others I already have to put away again.

This past week, Logan has figured out crawling.  He hasn’t mastered the technique, but he gets around pretty fast.  I’ve been putting the dog food up on a shelf already, and it’s time to baby-proof the kitchen and living room!  Since he’s starting motoring, our smallish basement suite seems way too small…

Logan has had two teeth for two months, and he’s working on the next set as we speak.  At this point, I’m now glad that I’m not breastfeeding, and won’t have to deal with teaching him not to bite my breast.  Now if I could just figure out how to get him to stop chewing on my feet.

I find myself looking forward to all the milestones to come, and looking back at the ones that have come and gone already as if I missed something.  I’m learning to let the dishes go unwashed and just watch Logan play, or play with him.  I don’t want to be the Mom that was too busy keeping the house clean to pay attention to my kids.  But it’s still hard for me to let things like that go sometimes!  I find myself lying awake at night, dreading waking up to a pile of dirty dishes, laundry to fold, a house to vacuum…  And then Logan sighs or coos, and I remember why these things aren’t done yet, and I can sleep.