5 Ways Toddlers Drive You Crazy

Today has been one of the most frustrating days I’ve had as a parent thus far.  I planned out a great day: healthy breakfast, clean the kitchen, go for a walk and wash the dog.  All of those things happened, but not as pleasantly as they sound.  Sonshine was in T.T.M. (Tazmanian Toddler Mode), therefore making every task more complicated.  I strapped my patience on and grit my teeth through each activity.  I have been trying to practice mindfulness, but then I realized…  toddlers make you crazy!  Here is why:

1. They hate the same exact food that they loved yesterday.  This is especially frustrating when you pack a lunch and there aren’t any acceptable food options around.
2. They touch you so much that you’d be happy to never be touched again.  EVER. IN. LIFE.  Being “touched-out” is a real thing.
3. They live attached to your leg.  Ever try cooking dinner, cleaning or doing anything with a toddler standing in every direction you move?  It’s like they shadow clone themselves to always be in the way.
4. They want to be independent, yet are slower than Mr. Roger’s (Neighborhood), and have a complete meltdown if you try to help them (aka speed up the process so you can get out the door because although everyone is ready, 30 extra minutes disappeared).
5. They never see the thing you are pointing to, naming, describing and asking them to pick up.

Parent: “Please pick up that block.”

Toddler: (Looking perplexed as if you are speaking in another language).

Parent: “The red block.  That red, triangle block.  Right there!  Go over there!  Okay, stop!  Now look down.”

Toddler: (Spins around whilst looking down and still can’t find it).

Parent: “By your feet!  LOOK, IT’S RIGHT THERE!”

And just when you are in a complete tizzy and decide to walk over to get it, your toddler bends down and picks it up.

Every single one of those things happened to me today – all before 2pm.  Plus the dog’s shenanigans – only wanting to walk on one side of the street, running while getting a bath, taking a piss on said hose that I was about to wash him with and crying all day.  The combination of the toddler + dog = a Super PAC of Frustration that cannot be rivaled.  That was it – my patience was defeated.  I completely lost my ish in my driveway.  Yes, I turned into a complete crazy person while both of them stared at me as if I were tripping for no reason.  Arrrrgh!  Good thing most of my neighbors were at work.  I may have scared off the other neighbors from ever speaking to me again.  Is it frowned upon to have wine for lunch?

3 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission for my family.

I’m not a fan of celebrating holidays.  The whole thing just seems like too much work.  Spending a bunch of money buying decorations, searching tirelessly for ingredients and competing with other consumers for the last ham at the grocery store, cooking a ton of food, and having a messy house all for just a few short hours.  Still, it wasn’t until this past Christmas that I realized just how important celebrating something is.  Having a child leads me to revalue the joy and togetherness that holidays bring into our lives.  Simply because we are alive, well and happy to have each other.  It doesn’t have to be one of the traditional holidays, but it should be something that is important to our family.  I’d like for my son to have fond memories of a special day that we got together and did something fun for a good cause.  So we’re starting our own traditions!

Mommy Can LearnEarth Day is this Friday and while it isn’t a homemade holiday, what better reason to celebrate than the solitary planet that homes us and provides us with food, water, and air!  Here are 3 ways that we can do a little good for our planet that does so much for us.

Teaching your kids about sustainable living

Reading books to kids is the best way to teach them about, well anything!  Learning about the importance of sustainable living is a great way to get kids involved and thinking about preserving our planet at an early age.  And once kids take an interest in something new, they’ll be sure to remind us to do our part as well.  Here are 4 great books to get started:

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth

Disney Go Green: A Family Guide to a Sustainable Lifestyle

The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling

The Earth Book

Earth Day activities

Earth 911 – Cool DIY projects with reusable materials.

Education World – Earth Day lesson plans and projects – great for homeschoolers!

TinkerLab – 50 Earth Day activities for toddlers and little kids.

Utilizing sustainability sites

Freecycle – A great resource for donating and receiving free reusable goods to avoid using landfills.

Healthy Home Economist – A list of organic, non-GMO, Monsanto-free seed companies.

I Want To Be Recycled – Everything recycling!

Local Harvest – Find local farms, farmers markets, co-ops, CSAs and even pick-your-own fruit gardens.

What do you have planned for Earth Day?

 

Meditation Monday: The Stressed

TGIM!  Yes, I said Thank Goodness It’s Monday.  Don’t hear that one very often – or pretty much ever.  This past weekend was very rough and I’m happy that it is over.  My son was having an unusually painful teething day, my errands were scattered around town, I left a blanket in the washing machine – which I’m sure has 15 different kinds of mold on it by now.  I barely cooked a real meal, my husband worked all weekend, the dog destroyed his bed again and no matter how much I cleaned, the house was still a mess.  Oh yeah, and my little love muffin hid the base to the house phone so I couldn’t charge it.  Needless to say, I was stressed.  Everything just seemed to go wrong and the little issues kept piling up.  At one point I laid on my bed, closed my eyes and wished that a cleaning/cooking/nanny fairy would fix it all.  Well I am no fairy, but I am the cleaner, cook and nanny so those jobs were hardly getting done.  Woosah!

Continuing with my efforts to incorporate meditation into my life, I decided to look for a video that would help me relax and get things back on track.  I really like this video because it reminds me that I can only do so much and to focus on one thing at a time.

What are some ways that you relieve the stress in your life?  Please leave a comment below and let me know about your meditation experience.

Meditation Monday: The Novice

As a wife and mommy, sometimes I get so caught up with caring for my baby and husband, managing the house, running errands, handling administrative tasks and learning to cook (stay tuned for that post) that I totally forget about me.  Sometimes I even forget to eat.  C’mon now, that’s just wrong.  I know that I need to make some changes to lead a more healthy and positive lifestyle.  Hey, what can I say, I’m a work in progress.  I’d like to start by incorporating meditation into my daily routine.  My life isn’t hectic per se, but some days the dog and baby are crying in unison, my husband can’t find his wallet before work, the eggs are burning on the stove and I very well may have put my undies on inside out.  Every time I see people meditating I think of how peaceful they must feel and how I could use some of that peace in my life.

What is meditation?

There isn’t a consensus as to the definition of meditation, however many sources state that meditation is an awareness, a process to calm our minds; a training of the mind to develop clarity and concentration.  Meditation can be connected to religion, spirituality or simply used as a mindfulness practice.

So here are the basics of meditation:

1. Find a quiet place.
2. Get comfortable.  It doesn’t matter if you are lying on the floor surrounded by Legos or sitting in your car during your lunch break; clasping your hands or resting them at your sides.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Try to clear your mind.  I know this one is difficult, but it will get better with practice.

Sounds simple enough right?  Ok, now join me for a short introduction to guided meditation.  Please comment below and let me know about your experience!