SAHM Duty Rocks!

This picture has nothing to do with the post other than to introduce where all our money went and how my epiphany came about. And I am not good at including photos so its always good to get one in when you can.
Last month Brady and I went on a vacation alone. We rented a Mercedes. We went to Niagara Falls. Stayed in the nicest hotel with the best view of the falls from our window and a jacuzzi. We went to Palmyra, NY to see the LDS sights and stayed in probably the only hotel but got the suite, and we went to Lake Placid and stayed in another suite that had a back door opening out to Mirror Lake. That all should have had its own post but that time has passed now. Moving on.
So yea we got broke for a minute there and Brady started to worry that maybe we needed to make some changes to the way we spend money or that I might want to start thinking about putting the kids in child care and going back to work once the new baby is old enough. I panicked! Partly because I have no valuable skills. But mostly because of the idea of someone else raising my kids! Preposterous! Me and only me is good enough to raise my kids!
I often complain about how draining it can be to stay home with children every single day and to do all the housework. But the truth is I would not rather be doing anything else. I have the opportunity to know every piece of my daughter. As soon as any change happens, I notice it. When she spends time with a sitter or goes to nursery at church I notice the new things that she has picked up. Because I know everything that was there before. I know my daughter so well that I notice the small growth that happens in her. If I were to give a large chunk of caring for her to someone else I wouldn't notice the small things. There is nothing more exciting to me than watching my independent little person form from such a helpless infant. All parents get to see that but not quite the way a stay at home parent does. I will gladly pinch pennies and endure the monotony of never ending housework as long as I get to be here and see each developing leaf and petal emerge. What a great job being a stay at home mom to young children is!
(Feel free to slap me now if your having an an awful day with your kids. I do not feel this thankful for my job every day and I might want to kick my own butt tomorrow.)

Me and My Lovey

Aurora's fever got to 103.9 degrees on Thursday. She just wanted to be held and rocked. She is not a snuggler so I was in heaven. I hated to know that she wasn't feeling well but was truly thankful that I got the opportunity to spend all day hugging this precious beautiful girl that was mine.
 I think that has been one of the most beautiful things about being a parent for me. I am someone's main person. She trusts me more than anyone else and I make everything all better for her. I have felt special bonds with kids, especially my nephews, but I knew that I could never compare to the bond they had with their mothers. And that's a beautiful thing.
I try to make Aurora feel special and important, but really I think she does a better job for me.
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Now that you've had a second for that to digest, I just need to say how incredibly sick I am of the whiny sick baby routine. Its been 4 days!! Snap out of it. And when will the vomit smell disapear from the carpet?!

Hypocrite, Thats Me

This last week I made a boo boo. I pushed the blame for my feeling of inadequacy onto others. I updated my status to "Does anyone ever thing that their Facebook bragging might cause pain to others?" I blamed the people of Facebook for making me feel bad about my dirty house. After all they "did 10 loads of laundry and fixed a motor vehicle, all while balancing their newborn baby on their nose", or something like that. After reading about every one's spectacular accomplishments, how could anyone find a day of simple accomplishments acceptable. I sometimes feel insecure in my marriage when I read that other husbands come home from work and do all the dirty dishes and put their kids to bed. If my husbands not doing that, I must be doing something wrong to make him not want to do that for me, right? I blamed the people who post to Pinterest for making me feel the need to make robot juice boxes and cake pops for my 2 year old daughters birthday party. If I didn't I would be such a failure because everyone I know does all zillion crafts they pin. Heaven forbid a child should get a simple cupcake without a cartoon characters face frosted onto it

The point of this post is that after all that boo hooing I did about how everyone else's internet activity makes me feel awful about myself and my life I decided that after all the effort I put into my daughter's birthday it was my right to post pictures and brag about the things that I'd done on Facebook. Guess what, I got called out. My friend jokingly said "who's bragging now?" And so I thought about it and decided yes I was bragging but was my intention was not to make anyone else feel bad. Surely the intention of the other braggers was to hurt other's feelings, right? Probably not. I just didn't think about other people and I'm now thinking other's probably don't either. I thought woohoo for me, but didn't even think about that version of me who exists somewhere in the world who at that moment wanted to know that it was okay that she was only able to feed her child  microwave mac and cheese and change wet diapers because she was so drained. I'm sorry alternate me. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to provide you comfort that you are doing just fine if your child is clean, fed, and loved. But I'm not sorry that I needed someone to tell me "Hey you went above and beyond and did a great job with those huge misshapen candy coated cake robots!" I think the reason people post to Facebook is because we all just need a little company through life's adventures, or lack of them. Life can be very lonely if you have no ones to share it with. So I'm sorry internet friends.  I am sorry that I expected you to keep your traps shut when your spouse (fill in the blank with something wonderful), but then I turn around and bombard you when my daughter does the cutest thing ever. I will try to remember that my negative feelings about your posts have less to do with you and more to do with me. But at the same time, I will try to brag only when I find it absolutely necessary.  

Momster Vs. Todzilla

Today's showdown begins with a dual between the opponents at the end of the church mom's club play date. Todzilla is adamant that, although she seemed completely disinterested in interacting with the rest of the kids moments earlier, it is not time to go. As Momster gets the car seat straps ready for the capture, off goes Todzilla and in a flash she's at the top of the steps knocking on the house door. In sweeps Momster, grabbing Todzilla horizontally and with much wailing and thrashing she's buckled in.

Score Momster: 1 Todzilla: 0

For lunch, Momster brings out the soup. She gets a couple good spoonfuls in but ultimately Todzilla has the upper hand. Momster should have known better than to use soup as her weapon. She and the carpet are doused with defeat.

Score Momster: 1 Todzilla: 1

Next arena, the bedroom. To nap or not to nap. Momster uses her special bounce power to lull Todzilla close to sleep and confines the beast to her cage. All she can do and wait and see if the spell will hold. After 20 minutes she sees that it won't and gives it another go. This time it takes and Todzilla is out.

But 30 minutes in, a sneaky cough awakens the beast and Momster is forced to bring out her rocking attack. The attack seems iffy and the sleeper isn't solid but we will count it as a win for Momster.

Score Momster: 2 Todzilla: 1

For the next dual we will take the opponents out of their usual environments. From previous showdowns, Momzilla is in need of repairs so the two head of to a chiropractor. As Momzilla, lays down icing her damaged spine in preparation for repair Todzilla is practicing her combat moves and battle cries. She climbs stools and steals equipment. Then its time. She is ready to make her next move. She executes Project: Stinker! "I poop!," she cries. Momster is forced to abandon her repair efforts to save all humankind confined in the clinic. Away she goes, skeleton bathroom key in hand, Todzilla in toe. A double circle around the building later they enter the restroom only to discover it was a trick! The "poop" was only a toot. Good thinking little Todzilla.

Score Momster: 2 Todzilla: 2

On the way out, the two peaceably pick up some Ala Carte hot food from Whole Foods to take home and some cookies to keep Todzilla occupied for the drive. The drive goes without incident.

At home, the feasting begins. Todzilla takes a big bite of mashed potatoes, but in mid swallow decides they are the nastiest thing she's ever tasted. Up come the potatoes followed by the digesting cookies which land right in Momster's lap. With the smell of vomit permeating the room Momster gives up the feast. Everyone loses in this dual.

Score Momster: 1 Todzilla: 1

To make things quick I'll give a quick overview of the rest of the night.

Bath time: Score Momster: 2 Todzilla: 1

Toenail Hygiene : Score Momster: 2 Todzilla: 2

Teeth Hygiene: Score Momster: 3 Todzilla: 2

Bedtime Routine: Score Momster: 3 Todzilla: 7 (1 for every book she got me to read.)

So with the results tallied it looks like Todzilla came out on top today. But that's okay because Momster needs less sleep than Todzilla and can spend the next hour before she collapses scheming how she will be Numero Uno tomorrow.

Hope you all won your battles today!

Fantastic Day!

Today I feel good about me. I went to my first MOPS meeting. I gave a roll of quarters to a man in need. I started the Insanity program. And tomorrow I am making a meal for a new mom. Most important, I was a good support person for my husband when he needed me and a fun mom (Yes I am in my daughters crib in that picture. Why not?!).

Yay me!