Mominator - Mommy Blog Mommy Blog

One of the things we like to do during Easter time is making Easter baskets out of paper bags.  Then we fill them and give them as gifts.  Examine the benefits here - they are cheap, easy to make and the kids can be creative with whatever you have around the house.  I’m sharing these baskets with you because if you have children or work with younger ones, this is such a nifty (yes I said nifty) craft they usually have fun with.  When I ran a day care I had the kids make this.  They loved it.  It’s something I do with my own children now.

Also, the baskets can be made for other holidays and decorated appropriately to go with the theme.  I happen to scrapbook and make diaper cakes for showers so I have a lot of supplies to be used on such projects.  If you don’t have a lot of supplies, grab some crayons, markers, construction paper and glue and you’ll be set.  This also makes for a great last minute easy-to-make gift if you happen to forget to pick something up for someone.  Most people love gifts that were hand made.  They treasure them.

What you’ll need:

lunch size brown paper bags
decorating supplies ~ whatever you want to use
candy or previous craft small enough to fit in the basket

All you have to do is cut the bag open along the seams to where you see the fold toward the bottom.  Once you do that fold the large flaps inside over one another to create the illusion of a bucket.  Take the two remaining flaps, staple them together and voila you have a basket.  Hand it over to the kids and let them go wild with the decorating.

Here are the ones we made today for Easter at my Mom’s house Sunday.  The pictures will reflect the steps that I gave you.  Remember you can make them for any occasion!  Happy Easter!!

Wednesday we went to Busch Gardens - a benefit of my brother working for Anheuser Busch.  We had a late start to our day there, but it is truly for the best.  It makes for a less grumpy hubby.  We were only there about 4 1/2 hours yet, we were all as exhausted as we would have been had we been there 8 hours.  We got to see some animal exhibits and ride some rides.  All in all it was a good day.

The only possible complaint about the park itself I have was the parking attendant that greeted us at the gate where you pay for parking.  Because of my pass we get free parking.  When we pulled up to the window my husband held out the pass and the attendant let out a forced “Hi.” as she snatched the pass out of his fingers.  She didn’t even make eye contact.  I just stared at her thinking she was going to say something more or at least crack a smile.  She probably felt a hole burning into the side of her head.  I know this ain’t Disney but for the amount of money I pay - I mean other people  pay - we damn well should get a smile of some sort.  She looked miserable.  Really miserable.  I believe had someone said something to tick her off she would have exploded.  I almost wanted to say something but I waited until my husband pulled away to gripe at HIM of course for HER wrong doing.  I grilled him on what her name was so I could report her but he didn’t notice it.  I NEVER report anyone so for me to want to report someone means they had to be really horrible.  Maybe she had a bad day or something.  Who knows.

The only other thing that bothered me was the lines.  The lines themselves were fine as far as waiting goes, it was my children that bothered me.  Clearly the person who designed the barricades that stream line your waiting doesn’t have kids.  Most of the barricades are metal bars attached in such a way that it visually transforms into a jungle gym the second a child sees it hence, leading to a frenzy of climbing and yelling - well not yelling, more like low, jaw wrenching, teeth gritting, “Get down now.  You’re hitting the person behind you.” type of conversations.  Apparently those aren’t loud enough because they forget ten seconds later and I find the teeth are still clinched but the voice is a little louder, “I. Said. Get. Off. Noooow.”  It wasn’t just my children.  It was most.  There were parents that didn’t opt for stealth like myself.  One mom let everyone hear how unhappy she was with her child.  By the third time mine climbed up while we were waiting for this one particular ride, I had to say something.  Only, I didn’t say anything at all.  I slowly yet firmly put my hand around their arms and squeezed ever so slightly while I gave the ultimate glare telepathically telling them they are going to die if they don’t stop.  Funny how my silence worked better.  Didn’t have to say another word.

Ahhhh, what good family fun!

Yesterday was Jordyn’s birthday.  He turned 7.  His birthday made me think about my age more than my own ,probably because my husband said, “Him turning 7 so fast just means we are getting older just as fast.”  What every woman wants to hear.  How old we are getting.  I didn’t dwell on it long because when I turned thirty I pondered my age thoroughly.  Turning thirty is a milestone of sorts.  You can no longer blame the stupidity of your twenties yet you have enough life experiences to actually have a snippet of wisdom to offer others younger than you.  You see, I couldn’t dwell on turning thirty two because I want to save all my strength for when I turn forty.  I can only imagine the thoughts and emotions that will pop up.

Seeing Jordyn turn seven is a joy.  I can remember every minute of my labor and delivery all the way up until the morphine.  It’s a little fuzzy after that for a couple days - morphine and vicodin will do that to you.  I remember my hormones raging and how I didn’t immediately click into this blissful motherhood role I was embarking on.  Then, two weeks after I had him home I was rocking him back to sleep at about 3 a.m. when suddenly I was more awake than I had ever been before in my life.  I looked at him and thought to myself, “Look what you did.  You have this amazing little person that you created and now you have to make sure he grows up to be a man that you would be proud of.  I’m a mother.  I’m someone’s mother.  Oh damn, I’m someone’s mother.  Oh.  My.  God.  I’m someone’s mother.”  I sobbed by myself while holding him in that chair as if I had JUST given birth to him.  To look at him now, seven years later, with a newly lost tooth, interests in reading, sports and video games amazes me.  He’s becoming his own person and exploring things he enjoys.  Is he a perfect little angel?  No.  There a lots of times I want to ring his neck.  Yesterday wasn’t one of them.

Aryanna’s room has been a mess for a couple weeks.  It looks like it threw up on itself with stuff everywhere.  I don’t understand how a five year old little girl can be so messy.  She just drops her clothes where she takes them off before bath time or leaves her pj’s wherever they fall when she’s getting dressed.  She doesn’t understand that it’s actually a little more work to let them drop on the floor and have to walk around them or step over them or even kick them out the way to get to where you want to get to in your bedroom.

It took her 2 hours to clean her room today.  Two hours.  Two hours to clean something that would have taken me 15 minutes.  I do so much though that I decided to use this as a lesson.  Last time her room was this messy we BOTH cleaned it.  Not this time.  I refused to help.

She spent some time trying to bargain “I’ll do half today and half tomorrow.”  or “How about you help me?” with a huge smile planted as if I’m going to jump up with joy and say, “I’d looooooove to help you clean yet another mess in this house that I had NO hand in making.  Oh really??  Can I? Can I? Can I?”.

Now even though I refused to help, I did support by way of staying in the room and giving her instructions like a drill sargeant through a mini megaphone.  Really.  It was soooooo much fun being so bossy.  I wonder if it would work on my husband.

A girl can wish.

She thought the drill sergeant act was hilarious.  I just kept giving her small tasks at first and then the lists got a little harder-by a five year old’s standards.  We took a five minute break after the first hour.  I was going to let her do a little today and then a little tomorrow but her father had already said she needed to finish it all today.  Of course I stood in the united front against her and made her do it alllll today.  I had to exercise some major restraint because the housewife in me wanted to rip through that room like a tornado and have it done but I think she’ll never put every toy and piece of clothing possible, under her bed again-not after having to crawl under it and take everything back out again and then put whatever she took out away in it’s proper place.

When we laid down for bed she looked at me and asked, “Why did I have to clean my whole room all today?”

Me:  “Because Dad said you needed to clean it all today.”

Her:  “But you said I could do half today and half tomorrow.”

Me:  “Yeah well, that was before I knew Daddy had already said you had to do it all today.  So I have to listen to Daddy.”

She looked at me the same way I would look at her if she had told me that she “had” to listen to any man.  She raised one eyebrow, shook her head, gently put her hand on my cheek and said, “Mommy use your own brain.  It’s what I do.  I just pretend I’m doing what I’m upposed to but I just ignore it.”

Me:  “It’s supposed to, not upposed to.  And ignoring what your told to do is what get’s you in trouble because we eventually notice you are not doing what you’re supposed to.”

She raised her eyebrow again, smiled and said, “Heh.  Not always.”   Then she turned around and laid her head on her pillow.

I gave up.

Dear Self,

When Aryanna asked you, as you passed the cow pastures, “If cows are to give milk, what are the bulls for?” you should not have answered, “To get the cows pregnant.”  if you were not prepared for the slew of questions that came afterward.  Remember, this is the same child that felt compelled to tell you she “has a hole down there”.  Next time, lie.  Please.

Yours Truly,

Yourself

Oh the excitement of a lost tooth.  I had no idea how thrilling it would actually be for all of us, even those of us with all of our teeth in tact.

The kids went to bed.  It was after midnight when we realized that WE were the Tooth Fairy and needed to get the money under Jordyn’s pillow.  I tip toed into his room and stood next to him, trying to figure out my strategy because he seemed to be sprawled out on his pillow.  I tried to slip my hand underneath the pillow but every time I moved I felt like I was making a sliding noise amplified by a megaphone which, we know was not the case.  Still, I felt like I was going to wake him up even though he didn’t move a centimeter.

I lost concentration.  I ran out to ask my husband to do it instead.  What a mistake.  Why would I think he had any finesse to pull this off.  He took his turn and tip toed into Jordyn’s room and stood in the same spot I did.  I snuck in behind him and squeezed myself on the other side of him between his body and the wall.  All of a sudden I see him crouch over and cover his mouth.  He started to laugh but diligently tried to keep it quiet. Ohhh, how he tried.   Once he realized he couldn’t, he bolted from the room laughing hysterically.  Of course you know I had to laugh but I couldn’t hold it in and get out of the room fast he enough so I blurted out a laugh so loud that I startled Jordyn.  He flashes his eyes open wide and yells because all he saw was me hovering over him making noises.

So much for stealth.

My husband came back in and gave him a hug.  As he hugged and kissed him good night he reached under the pillow, dropped the five bucks and grabbed the tooth with one hand.

Redemption!!

Normally Jordyn wakes up around 8 am.  At 6:50 am I woke up to a little hand holding five singles in my face saying, “Look!!  The Tooth Fairy came.”  He was so excited but knew we were trying to sleep so he said it very gently with all the quiet enthusiasm he could control.

While I was bringing him to the bus stop I asked, “Wasn’t that cool of the Tooth Fairy to leave the five dollars for your tooth?”  I was expecting him to give a speech on what he is going to do with the five dollars.  Save it.  Spend it at the Dollar Store.  Something.

He said, “Yep.  You know what’s even more better?  I get a sticker from my teacher for losing my tooth once I tell her when I get there!”

I’m having a real Mommy moment here.  All the “firsts” are so exciting.

I was in the other room.  Jordyn was brushing his teeth when suddenly I hear him make a noise like he wanted to yell but he couldn’t.  Then, I hear him mumble, “My tooth just fell out while I was brushing my teeth!”  He had toothpaste in his mouth he was trying not to spill out until he looked in the mirror and saw the blood.  Then the excited look turned into a pale look of fright.  He looked like he literally either wanted to pass out or vomit or maybe even both.

I quickly go into the mommy is a rock and nothing will shock or scare her voice of reassurance.  I grab a towel and throw a huge smile on my face and say, “Yaaaaaaaaay!  Your tooth is out finally!!”  He still looked scared.  I could see him staring at the blood again.  I say, “It’s ok.  Everyone bleeds when their tooth comes out.  Here, rinse it out and watch it stop!”  I turn the faucet on.  He half way smiles and nods back because losing a tooth apparently paralyzes your jaw into an open position.  He manages to contort himself in such a way that he takes a sip of the running water while it’s flowing, swishes it about a few times and then spits it out.  He does it one more time.  The bleeding stopped.  Let the excitement begin!

I yell out the door to my husband telling him what happened.  You don’t understand.  We’ve been waiting for the last couple of weeks for this tooth to fall out.  His other tooth was already growing in behind it.  You can hardly even tell he lost his tooth. So yeah, we were a tad excited in my house.

Then I suddenly realize Jordyn was brushing his tooth when it happened.  I thought to myself,  “Wait a minute! Oh crap!! Did it fall down the drain??!!”  I went back into the bathroom, asked Jordyn where the tooth went.  He looks down on the counter and points.  It flew out and landed safely on the counter.

WHEW! Cause I know I would have been the mom taking the pipes apart for that tooth.  As far as I know the Tooth Fairy only drops money under pillows.

He wrapped it up in a paper towel and we all watched as he put it under his pillow with so much hope and excitement for the $1.00 he thinks he’s getting.  We’re giving him $5.00 for this first one.  I can hardly wait until he wakes up and sees it.