Choosing FUN

I have three little boys, and let me tell you, there is no lack of energy in this house! With school just starting to wrap up for the year, I started thinking about next fall activities. BOY, AM I SURE GLAD I DID! Registration starts in two weeks for half of them. I actually despise this process, I search the web like a crazy person locating all possible locations for specific activities, compare prices, write down multiple options for all classes, to see how all three kids schedules can fit together. Then I have to check my log-ins, make sure I have all my user names correct, and write down the proper date and time to register. You better believe I am one of those mom's who is up at the crack of dawn getting my kids into swimming lessons, skating, preschool, gymnastics whatever is it.
Today however I decided.
"You know what, I am just going to pick one activity that's important to each kid, and then focus on literally just those three events" (yes, registering my kids is an event in our house hold- with 5 am high fives and all).
POOF, all my craziness is gone. As I tell me my kids when they get their colored lunch plates.... "You get what you get, and don't throw a fit"- now applied to parenting. Will everyone get into swimming lessons? I don't know, but I do know they will all have their one class they are passionate about, and today I will take that as a win!

Note to self: no more microsan

There are things I will always remember about my boys lives. Like Jake learning to crawl Christmas Day, or the way Asher always grabs at my heart necklace anytime he can reach it. Then there are the things I totally forget about. Lost in my mind until something triggers them. Today, was tough for me, we were at the public health office for routine vaccinations, and I used the anti-bacterial hand gel. Instantly I was flashed back to Cohen in the NICU. I can't speak for anyone else but I HATED having a preemie in the NICU. I hated everything about it. The constent hand washing, disinfecting, signing in, signing out, filling out log after log of multiple things that no matter what, never seemed to be good enough, because your baby was still trapped in this little plastic incubator- not coming home with you. That smell of anti-bacterial gel is in fact my memory of hell. However, as I stood there stunned I watched my perfect little two year old push his brother off a chair while yelling incoherently. Yep, there's nothing preemie about my fighter now, and I feel nothing but instant relief. I make a note-to-self; never use that hand sanitizer again, and remind myself that I have three perfectly healthy, happy children and I couldn't ask for more! Sometimes graditude, which should be the simplest, is in fact the hardest memory of all. 

Fact vs Fiction... Eating out

Recently, we went away for the weekend. This means a lot of eating out which is slow, painful torture, but inspired my very first fact vs fiction entry.

I always use to think that large families didn't eat out because of the following reasons:

1. It would take too long to get a table for 5+ people because the world is made for families of four or couples.
2. It was just too expensive.
3. You would have to down grade your restaurant because of price.

Get ready to have your mind blown- NONE OF THESE ARE THE REASON! The real reason why larger families do not dine out is basically because of this list:

1. The idea of being trapped in a booth with all your children and that many open water/juice/pop glasses is terrifying. You better hope you wore black pants, preferably polyester so they will dry fast when inevitably the cups on the table are all knocked over and pool into your lap. Children are invincible; they can flail their arms all over the place and will NEVER get a spilled drink on them.
2. The minute a waitress sees a 5+ table that automatically means snails pace. Have you ever tried to contain starving monkey goats? Well take my hungry family to a restaurant and you will get that experience.
3. As parents, you mine-as-well of ordered a side of ice cubes to throw on your food because by the time you wrangle your children down and convince them to eat, your food is freezing. Who really wants to pay good money for gross freezing food? Could have had that experience at home.

When we only had two kids, going out to eat wasn’t perfect but it was easy. Now I just prefer to stay home and use the slow cooker- at least my food is hot when I am eating 45 minutes after the kids finish!

Our Big Debut- Don't Miss It!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOLKS!

Sunday, April 26 will be Diaperworks first Trade Fair. We are so excited! Here are the details on the event.

Who: Mommylicious Trade Fair with Flair. This is the BEST family friendly Trade Fair Event!

What: 40-70 Local vendors who have all sorts of products and services that are geared towards families.

Where: The Carriage House Inn (9030 MacLeod Trail South, Calgary, Ab)

When: Sunday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: FREE, plus there are so many great things going on-Bouncy House, Face Painting, Mini Photo Sessions, Stroller Check, Door Prizes & Shopping!

 

Hope to see you all there!

My SUV mind as well be a mini van

The other day, while driving my three little adorable monsters to the gym, Jake pipe’s up from the back seat.
“Mom, I wiped my boogers on your window again”
Again?!?!?! Implying I have been inadvertently exposing the back of my shoulders to all sorts of nastiness every time I get the kids in and out of their car seats ?!?!?!?! GROSS, I vomit a little in my mouth realizing I will have to clean this up. Five minutes later Jake also informs me
“I am done my snack”
I had given him a nutragrain bar (yes, mom of the year) which I know has a wrapper, and it’s probably covered in crumbs and gooey filling.

“Jake, where’d you put the wrapper?”

“In the garbage” he happily replies.

Two things are wrong with this; one, he’s strapped into his car seat and his arms have about a one foot radial reach. Two, there is absolutely no garbage can, container, bin or bag of any sorts in my car. Yep, he threw it straight on the floor.

THANKS FOR KEEPING MOMMYS CAR CLEAN BOYS!

Mental note, Appendix: Pay Backs a B*tch- When Jake is driving me to doctors’ appointments in my senile years- I am totally picking my nose and wiping it on the dashboard.

Parent Teacher Interviews aka "my kid does what?!?!"

Jake's parent teacher interviews were last week. I was naive enough to think “my child is perfect, what could they say?” WELL, let me tell you, apparently my child doesn’t know how to jump. He also appears so tiered he sometimes lays down on the floor because “it looks like he physically does not have the strength to sit up”. He has no idea what his colors are or what “craft time” means. He can’t put his own shoes or jacket on, and seldom remembers his school bag... it goes on like this. Of course they do mention he’s a very sweet boy- apparently he’s not swearing at school so I’ll mark that one down as a win.

My mind is totally blown. Are you sure you are talking about my kid? Yes, yes they are.

So here is a video I randomly took- it blew their minds.
Kids do the strangest things, you just never know what they are up to!

Out-sourcing poop on ice?

There are two parenting jobs that I would outsource if I could:

1.       Potty Training

2.       Teaching a kid to ice skate

Potty Training- To you lucky folks who send your kids to daycare in diapers and they come home potty trained- I hate you.… to you moms who are forced to turn your beautiful home into a living toilet getting them trained- I feel your pain! Earlier today, my 4 year old and 2 year old were arguing over who’s the “better pooper”. If you’d like me to weigh in, they are both terrible! I have had to clean up more poop than I could have ever imagined!

Ice Skating- sure you can sign up for lessons. After all, that’s what we did. But you know what happens at lessons? The skate instructor tells you to stand in front of your kid and hold their hands (this apparently teaches them the proper balance or something- I couldn’t hear the explanation over the sounds of my child screaming bloody murder about hating his skates). After they refuse to stand for the first ten minutes of class, you end up holding them under their armpits. I have short children, but honestly, this does not matter. ALL kids are way too short to be holding up on ice skates for 30 minutes. When the class is over, you are permanently bent in the shape an upside down U, and by the time the kinks in your back straighten out- it’s been a full week, and your back to skating class. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Like potty training you press on and voilà after ten of the longest weeks of your life your kid can skate in underwear- no accidents!

Week 2/10- crossing my fingers that Cohen catches on to both quicker than Jake!