A Pet Reindeer

This past week, my boss' maternity leave ended, and I was officially on my own with all 4 little munchkins! What an adventure! The first day, was eerily smooth. The baby was so easy going, and took his bottles like a champ. The toddlers were, somehow, calm and playing well together (I know, right?), and the 4 year old was happy as could be in her pretend "Frozen" universe! The second day was just as great! Then, there was today....

First of all, I will start off by saying that when I bought my minivan, it seemed so big, and I was sure I could fit endless amounts of children in it. This was definitely a complete misconception. Once you have more than 2 kids in the seats, that van gets small! Not to mention, with the young kids, the latch system is the recommended way to restrain. Well, in my new fancy car, the designers decided to put the latch system in between 2 seats. Who does that? I just lost the capability for another kid! Conspiracy? Psh,...absolutely.  Anyway, I have a child under the age of 2, that needs to be rear facing in the back row. I thought that I could open the hatch, lift him over the seat, and buckle him in this way. No joke, I thought this was a pretty spiffy idea, and that I was for sure going to win some kind of super genius award. HA! No, the poor little innocent boy just about lost a leg on this endeavor! Nanny of the year, right here, people! Needless to say, we will be turning that seat around...

Oh! I will say, though, that even after a near amputation, he was still happy enough to hold his sister's hand in the car. Awwwwweeeee.....

After dropping off the oldest at her preschool, I decided a coffee was definitely in order. Good thing, too.

Here's the problem with toddlers....They don't stop. EVER. They touch everything. They eat everything. They yell about everything. They scream, bite, hit, kick, chew, and are basically dinosaurs trapped in tiny human bodies. However, during all of the chaos that was this morning, I must say, that I caught a rare moment of the littles getting along, and actually playing with the SAME toy!! Miracle worker? Heh, well.... if you say so.

Now, that we've covered the problem with toddlers, let's cover the (only) problem with newborns. They want to rest. All the time. Ever tried keeping a newborn calm and rested with 2 toddlers around? I have. Easy? NO! The poor little guy just can't get settled, because every time he opens his little crazy eyes, there's an even crazier set of eyes staring at him like he's flesh in a pool of ravenous piranhas. Then, when he cries, the toddlers cry. Do I cry at this point? I'm not sure if this is the way the cycle goes... Anyway, just to calm your curiosity, I did eventually get ALL of the children calm enough to allow happiness all around! YAY! ;)

Also, as I previously mentioned, the little girl in my care, might have a slight obsession with a little movie, known as Frozen. I'm pretty sure I should probably have my name officially changed to Anna, and she will henceforth be known only as Elsa. This is my life now. Non-stop imaginary play where I must follow the rules and instructions given to me from the Queen. Though, I can't say I mind replaying "Let it Go" over and over in my head! Let it GOOOOOOOOO! But, I know the rest of my mommy friends are most likely experiencing the same obsession, so I think it's pretty fun! Do you think they make the princess dresses in my size?! Also, where can I claim my pet reindeer?

I should also point out that I am not complaining. I love my job, and I adore the family that I get the distinct privilege to work with. I mean, how many other people get to give love and cuddles for a living? It may be stressful sometimes, but it makes for a good story! And what is life, if you can't remember the good times and laugh at the bad?! Not a life of mine, that's for sure!

P.S.- You wanna build a snowman?!

Guilty!

I read a Facebook post this week entitled something like, 27 Things Parents Do. While reading it, I've gone over my days, and thought, "Well, I definitely do some of these things." Now, I realize that my little one is still too young for me to have to do some of them, but I am absolutely guilty of several. Let's see...

Chowing down on junk food while they are sleeping...
This is 100% true. I am a person who eats their feelings. If I'm stressed, which is often, I'm going to eat chocolate, or Cheez Its, or some Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls. I obviously don't want to share these guilty pleasures, so I have to wait until there is no chance of having to. There is a chance, that I may even be guilty of hiding in the pantry, so as not to be seen, just to eat a secret snack! And I probably look something like this...

Telling my own version of a story...
Guilty! Seriously, some of these stories are so long, I could put my hair into dreadlocks, and still not be done reading them. Who decided that a book made for a child age 1-4 should be 43 pages long, with size 10 font? Not this girl! My story?

"Ariel was a mermaid, who really really wanted to be a human. She asked an old lady to help her. The old lady made her a human. She fell madly in love with Prince Eric, and he fell madly in love with her. They got married, and they lived so happily for the rest of their lives. Awwwwwwe! The End."

What's so wrong with this version?

Order a kids meal at the restaurant, just so I can have a taste...
Of course! If I'm going to pay $5 for a kids meal, I'm definitely going to make sure I get some of that mac n cheese. I mean, I have to make sure it's a safe temperature and tastes okay, right? Absolutely. I could be saving her life.

Use your kid to get out of doing something...
I don't do this very often, but I have done it before. It's the easiest reason ever. "I'm so sorry, I really can't leave her, because I have to nurse her to sleep." What a great (and true) excuse! You know you do it, too!

Forgetting the name of other kids' parents...
I am part of a MOMs club, and it has so many members, that sometimes I just can't remember everyone's name! They're all like, "Hey Jean! How's it going?" and I'm over here like "Heeeeey.....uh... You!" What to do at a time like this? Send in the 4 year old! She is always a good one at finding out names! Whew, way to save the day, girly!

Talking non-stop to random people...
Oh my goodness, let me tell you... When you are in a house all day with children, I guarantee you will talk to literally anybody willing to have a conversation. The Terminix guy? We're best friends, for sure. The TruGreen guy? You know it! The old woman at the mall, who was really just wanting to acknowledge the fact that I have children with me who are impossibly close in age? They all started the conversation! I'm just saying...don't ask me how it's going, or how old the kids are, or say how cute they are, because I promise, I WILL tell you!

Dancing in front of your kid like you wouldn't around anyone else...
This is something I do daily. How do you expect to stay happy, if you can't dance it out?? It's fun! Throw out some old school moves! A little Pulp Fiction, some of The Swim, The Twist, The Washing Machine... Yep, they've seen it all! Go for it. Though, I will admit, there are definitely adults out there who have had to witness these dance moves, as well!

So, these are the acts that I was guilty of. No shame here! I've come to realize, that I do what I have to do, to stay happy, and alive! If sneaking a snack, or talking my (awesome for listening) boss' ear off, or dancing like a fool makes my day that much better, I can't complain! At least I CAN do those things! It also never hurts to break out in song and always remember... The sun will come out tomorrow! ;)