Clean Up Your Solar System

I'm not the best housekeeper. You all know this about me. But I am working really hard on it. My mother was awesome at making sure our house was clean more often than not. The result was, we feel more comfortable in a clean house than a dirty one. I want my kids to have that too. So sometimes, we have to get creative.

Often, when Sam and Caius and I are going through the house picking up toys and laundry, we make a game out of it. Sometimes we pretend the toys are "animal's in trouble" and we are Diego and Alicia rescuing them. Sometimes we just have a race to see who can pick up the most things the fastest. But I've got to be honest--I'm running out of ideas.

Enter Sam, Queen of Bright Ideas.

Me: Okay, its time to pick up all our toys and clothes!

Sam: A game a game! Lets make a game.

Me: pause......(nothing, I'm stumped).

Sam: I know! Lets be rockets and we can clean our solar system! I'll clean Mars and you can clean Saturn and Baby Caius can clean Jupiter!

Me: Sam that's a great idea!

Sam: Mommy, be sure to collect lots of space rocks to bring back for science.

The Fruit Flower Monster

Me: Sam, what would you like for breakfast today?

Sam: I would like a fruit flower, please.

Me: Okay!

Sam: Without oranges, please.

Me: Okay.

Sam: And pink yogurt, not white.

Me: Um, okay.

Sam: And extra blueberries, please.

Me: Extra blueberries. Got it.

Sam: It needs to have six petals.

Me: Do you think you are maybe being just a little particular?

Sam: No, I just like my fruit flowers.

Bad Dog!

Setting: Its a windy day, partly cloudy, warm. 30% chance of rain. Weenie dog senses potential storm (in our house, we say the "s" word to avoid unnecessary puppy flip-outs).

Me: Peggy! Bad dog! Chewing cords is bad bad BAD!

Sam: Mommy, don't yell at her. She's just hungry. I need to feed my pets.

Enough is Enough

"Mommy, put your camera down first. Then we can talk."

Nap Time

Sam hasn't taken a nap in ages. She gave them up completely quite a while back. For some time afterward, we were doing "cozy time" where she would sit on the couch and read some books or watch a movie. But in recent months she's given that up as well.

She seemed a bit moody today. At one point late this afternoon, she was crying about nothing again. I wrapped my arms around her and said, "Sam, are you okay? You seem very tired today."

"I'm okay, mommy" she replied. "I'm just uh-sauce-sted."

If you've been to my house, you know that I've taught my daughter to go into her room and sit on her bed to calm down when she gets upset. She does this quite often. I leave her alone for a minute or two, then I go in and talk to her.

Today, after she hugged me, she walked very calmly to her bedroom and shut he door. I thought it was odd because she usually slams the door, and I thought she had already calmed down. But I let her have a couple minutes to herself.

Turns out, she really was exhausted.

I woke her up about 20 minutes later (it was too late for a real nap). She swatted my hand away and went back to sleep. I picked her up and sat in the chair with her. I asked her if she felt better and she said, "Mommy, I need you and Caius to go out of here so I can sleep."

"Honey, you need to be awake right now so that you can sleep tonight."

"I don't have to sleep tonight. I'll just stay up with you."

:/

Eggs (Part II)

Sam: Mommy, what are you doing?!?!

Me: I'm making you breakfast, Sam!

Eggs

Me: Samantha Lynn Davis, what are you doing?!?!

Sam: I'm making you breakfast, mommy!

What I Learned on Mother's Day

Every Mother's Day since I became a mother myself has been an exceptionally educational day. I'd say some of the most important lessons I've learned on Mother's Day. I've decided to share a few of them with you, my one reader, in the hopes that you will find it as entertaining as I do that I learned these lessons so late in my life.

Mother's Day, 2008: Lesson 1 - Women become mothers the moment we are aware and start preparing for that precious little poop machine to fill the void in our lives. Men become fathers when they change the first diaper. In boy speak, "Being knocked up does not grant you a Mother's Day card, woman."

Mother's Day, 2009: Lesson 2 - If a mother wants some recognition for her juggling skills and hard work (and lets face it, we all do), she has to start reminding her family in February that Mother's Day is coming up. My mother always did this, and I never really understood why. Men do not plan. They do not prepare. And if you don't get a seed planted and really tend it, nothing sprouts on Mother's Day. Instead, you find yourself explaining to him in July that the reason you spent fifty dollars at the flower shop in May was to get his mother something for Mother's Day.

Mother's Day 2010: Lesson 3 - Becoming a mother oneself does NOT grant one immunity from the wrath of one's own mom should one neglect one's daughterly Mother's Day duties. This is a very important lesson, people. Take it from me. Don't test it. Just go see your mom and tell her how much you love her. No matter how inconvenient it seems, its not that hard.

Mother's Day 2011: Lesson 4 - Mothers. Teach your sons to do everything PERFECT for you on Mother's Day. Train them to give you full on princess treatment. Do this not for yourselves, but in the hopes that one day when he has an exhausted, overwhelmed wife with one kid on her hip and one hanging on her leg, he'll know exactly what to do. Train your daughters to accept gracefully that men just don't get hallmark holidays and that we really just want some flippin flowers.