A letter to my son on his First Day of School

Booger,

Today, dropping you off for your first day of Second Grade, I teared up. I should be used to it by now as you've already soared through two years of pre-school, Kindergarten and First Grade --but I'm not. In fact, I think it's gotten harder. You stood in line behind that bright orange cone looking confident and ready. Your button up shirt and cargo shorts made you look so grown up, you truly are a handsome young man. 

I think that's why its becoming harder to let you go. I know the potential you have. You are bound to greatness. You are smart, caring and curious. Soon, and I'm fearful too soon, you won't be my little boy anymore. You won't want me to take your picture or walk you to the line on your first day. You'll have girls flirting with you and you'll be looking at colleges --ready to leave us, ready, just as you were today. 

I pray that you love every second of your first day. I will continue praying that you have a wonderful year and that every day you stay safe and happy. I will keep praying because that's all I can do. I can't freeze time (as much as I wish I could). You are already the most incredible little boy I've ever met and I know that as the years pass you will just continue growing into an incredible young man. 

I love you so much Booger (and yes, I'm going to call you that as long as I can).

-C

Back to School Pictures

We took our "Back to School" pictures a week before school started for a couple of reasons --1. The first day of school is rushed, stressful and I want to be able to really be there for the little guy on his first day instead of hiding behind my lens trying to get the perfect shot. Will I still take a couple of shots? Of course! But this way it's way less pressure which leads into my reason 2. They get to be way cuter! 

Now, there is nothing that compares to the amazing work a professional photographer can do, but for little moments like this I prefer to control everything myself and not spend the money. Here are the prep steps I took and a little photography 101 so that you can get some of your own cute shots for the scrapbook!

First, I browsed Pinterest for some cute ideas! I loved the more antique/vintage school set so I gathered some stuff around the house and found an antique school desk on Craigslist for super cheap! I also made a list of cute poses I really wanted to steal for our home shoot! 

Pinterest really is amazing! Then, it was just the matter of setting up the logistics ... Where, when, what to wear.

There where is probably the most important of the logistics as is relates to our photography 101. You need to scout out a good location with no clutter. The "set" is the first clear distinction in an amateur vs a pro photo. Prepare your "set" and then have a test shoot so you can really tell what it's going to be like --any certain angles that your going to need to hit to avoid background distractions??

The next important thing is to understand your camera! Here is a really cute infochart I found on Pinterest curtesy of ScissorTailSister!

Any other paparazzi moms going to take some Back to School photos! I want to see them!

-C

Stepmother Struggle

It's no secret that I have been off the grid the last couple of weeks. Partly because of my busy schedule, but mostly because of of my reoccurring identity struggle. I've seen it all too many times where people these days rush to social media to produce "word vomit"-- air their dirty laundry, call out the wrong-doers in their lives, and ask for a pity-party. I am not that person. I am proud to be a stepmother, I am proud of the kind of parent I am, and I am proud to call my husband and stepson my family. Becoming a stepmother has treated me well, but almost to the point where it's been too good.

I was truly blessed to be able to blend into my family while my stepson was very young. He really does not remember a time where Caity wasn't with Daddy, and can only recall stories that he's been told about anytime before. I was there for every stage in his young life with the exception of infancy. I changed diapers, was honored to be apart of some of his "firsts", and made many memories along the way. We bonded instantly, and still have an unreal connection. I love him as if he were my own.

That is why being a step-mother is so hard.

You pour your heart, soul, sweat and tears into a child and your entire being is consumed with an undeniable love. You participate in sports, school, and home activities and often go above and beyond because (maybe) you just don't know any other way. But then, and at least in my case, you have to step back and realize that after all that -- they aren't your biological child. They still have a mother, and it's not you. The child that you love so much has biological parents who make the decisions. 

You can't always protect the little hands you cherish. You don't get to chose the best school possible for them. You don't get to chose how the other mother loves them. Often times, where you live, your finances, your vacations, your schedule --- pretty much your whole life is dependent on another woman who you may or may not get along with. 

You think you understand your role, but often times a situation comes along that can really mess with your head. Emotions  like that can take a toll on you, as it has for me. You keep your head up, re-group, and remember that you can only control what happens at your home and you make damn sure that you make that the best that you can. ...but I know that's hard, so I'll leave you with the serenity prayer:

"God, give me the courage to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

hint:: the wisdom is the most difficult part.

-C

Shoe Tying

I don't know about you, but my little guy is a very "out-of-the-box" thinker. Although he is very smart, he is not the kind of kid who learns in a traditional manner. We seriously have been working on tying his shoes for a good two years. We bought the little fake shoe at the store, we've practiced and practiced and practiced, we've tried teaching him about knots...and, nothing! None of the normal ways taught him how to tie his shoes. So all last year we had a first grader who couldn't tie his own shoes. By the first grade teachers stop helping kids tie their shoes so he had the option to ask friends for their help, or simply stuff his shoelaces inside his shoes. It was embarrassing for him. He felt discouraged and frustrated that he couldn't get this down, but it just seemed too abstract for him.

We decided that second grade wasn't going to be like that. We were determined to get him tying his shoes before the start of the school year so we dedicated tons of time for summer tying practice. What I didn't realize was that we needed to just get back to the basics. We know that J is an out of the box thinker so why were we trying to go the traditional route with this?!

A little research later and we came up with a game plan! We made sure he understood how to make basic "cross" knots on his shoe. We taught him a little song to remember the steps, and then let him watch us tie his shoes a couple of times. After that, we helped him through it one time on one shoe and he felt SO confident that he tried all by himself on the other shoe.... AND DID IT! YAY! After years of struggle, this took about 5 minutes to master! We will still continue trying the traditional way, but this works for now!

Here's how it goes; Cross, Cross, make a hole, put them (shoelaces) through, and Pull!

I'm not raising Van Gough

It's true, I'm not too sure I see a future famous artist in my little booger. At 7yo though, who knows what's in store for him! So, as a parent, how do you decide what to hang up and what not to? The paranoid voice in my head is constantly scrutinizing my decisions when it comes to how much to encourage J. If I encourage him too much is he going to grow up to be dependent on someone's affirmations or become entitled? We've all seen those kids on TV! You know, the kids/adults who can't sing worth a damn but their parents bought their way to the top, or the ones throwing a fit on MTV's "My Sweet Sixteen". I am terrified of parenting my booger in a way that would screw him up like that! On the other hand, will too little encouragement turn him into a crazed serial killer because he didn't feel loved?!

Parenting is hard. No one wants to royally mess up their kid. 

As a team, my hubby and I decided that we would have to take each picture as a case by case basis. Sometimes artwork can be hung in our craft room, in J's playroom, on the fridge or on a little cork board we have. We really like to encourage him when he does something above and beyond, so sometimess his artwork gets framed and hung. We have a pretty nice house and don't feel that we need macaroni art on every wall so here as the things we consider with each "piece".

1. Time. How much time did the little guy put into it?? This is probably our número uno consideration. If J spent weeks crafting each aspect of a piece of art work, it means a lot more then something he scribbled in 5 minutes before lunch. The quality is clearly better, and besides the point, we don't want to teach him that half-ass work gets the same credit as a job well done.

2. Subject. What is the picture of? Sometimes, boys don't always draw things that are exactly "wall hanging material". It's awesome of he spent a whole week on a cool drawing, but we aren't really going to frame and hang up a picture of army guys blowing up bloody bad guys in our living room. If it's that special, save it in a box, but the subject really does make a huge difference. 

3. Medium. What form of art is it -- crayon, paint, pencil, sculpture...??? Maybe when he's older, he may come home with a really neat charcoal drawing that I can frame, but for now at this age, pencil drawings get the boot. As always, if it's still something he worked hard on, we'll hang it on the fridge or cork board for awhile and save it in a box. Crayon and paint really depend on the time he spent, a quick crayon drawing or a quick painting can be sloppy and not really cause to go out and buy a frame. I know it relates back to the time he spent on it, but sometimes bad paints/crayons on bad paper just don't work out. 

4.House. Do we have room or a perfect place to hang up children's art work? If it's really that special, we can usually find a place, but we also don't want to rule out that one day there will be a good piece that just doesn't fit in our home. It also makes it hard when they start making clay sculptures -- sometimes it just has to become a piece that's not on display for guests and maybe goes in a bedroom or storage to save for later. 

These categories really make us think hard about our decision to hang our little boogers work around our home, and we think makes it even more special when he does earn it! I'm not sure I'm raising the next Van Gough, but we are going to try to encourage his hard work while being semi-realistic. Hopefully this way he values quality and knows that quality takes hard work and skill. It's a tough world out there, but I think we're putting him on the right track!

Do you think extreme parenting styles can alter a kids behavior (either too encouraging or too realistic)??? How do you balance between the two styles?

-C

Learning opportunities and parenting fails.

J's Father and I try and use every holiday or special occasion into a learning experience. Obviously, Independance Day yesterday served as one of those perfect opportunities! Over the summer, J has to work on a couple of school worksheets everyday to keep his skills up, so of course yesterday, he started his day off by completing some American themed worksheets! His favorite one was where he got to color in a flag, wrote down different facts about the flag and do a short writing response. It gave us the opportunity to talk to him about the Revolutionary War and how we as a people came to be. We love incorporating history lessons or science into real life for him!

Today though, we ran a few errands and ended up working on a landscaping project and planting some trees. Of course we ran into unexpected problems, and J kept getting in the way. We were beginning to get frustrated because he just didn't seem to understand what was going on and kept stepping right where he shouldn't have! Neither of us have a temper, but we both became a little snappy when J continuously stepped in front of the skid steer and put himself in dangerous spots. This isn't something he does, and he definitely knows better! Then it hit me... Yesterday, we were patient and used every second as a teaching opportunity , but today, we didn't give his curiosity a second thought. We had become those parents who became so consumed in our own project that we weren't encouraging his curiosity! 

We slowed down, which was very hard! We took the time to explain every little detail to J, let him touch the pieces we were working with, and answered all his questions. It was "convenient", but afterwords J felt engaged in the project too! It wasn't the adults project, it became the families' project! He began wanting to help, making sure he was in the right place at the right time, and actually being beneficial. 

What started out at a parenting error, ended up being a parenting victory. All it took was taking the time out to teach the little booger what he wanted to learn and he was on board wanting to help! I guess what we learned from today was that it's hard to remember that everyday is a learning experience for a kid, but as parents it's important to cherish those questions and cherish those moments everyday (not just important days) and guide them through this mysterious life!

Love on your kiddos and answer their questions! Parents are a kids best teacher!

-C

#SummerAdventure

Today, the boy and I tried SUP {{stand up paddleboarding}} and what. a. BLAST!! For the love of green beans, seriously! This was something that's been on our checklist for awhile so today we finally gave it a go and now we are hooked! The board is about 9 feet tall and 3 feet wide, so you stand on it (obviously), bend your knees a little and use an oar to paddle along. It's a pretty good workout if you want it to be! I was super nervous about letting J have his own board, but he begged and begged and I figured after yesterday's independence he was probably craving more so I gave in. J is 7 years old, 49 inches and 62 lbs of pure muscle... Yeah, I know, he's a brick, but honestly I wouldn't recommend letting your kiddo unless they are bigger then he is because he was still a little "struggle bus". We are most definitely going to try it a few more times (at least) and hopefully visit a few more lakes!! 

We have a ba-zillion other things on our Summer Adventure checklist though! Here are a few of our checklist to-dos we have to gotten to yet:

-Hikes; Devils Head, Garden of the Gods, and a few local trails

-Fishing (what summer is complete without fishing... really.)

-Visit the Wild Animal Sanctuary 

-Visit Casa Bonita (every Colorado kid has to go at least once)

-Visit as many Penny press machine locations as possible

-Denver Art Museum

-Cheyenne Frontier Days

-Attend several hometown events: Movie night, Splash at the Park, concerts, ect..

What's on your to-do list??

~C

My kid told me to pack sand

Skateboarding --not really something I never imagined my kid doing. Not that I really have anything against it, just silly little presumptuous ideas that came from stereotypes. So, needless to say that his father and I were a little shocked when J said he wanted to skateboard. We try really hard though to preserve his innocence, so we set out own judgement aside and got him set up with all the gear he would possibly need. Kids see the world in such a wonderful way, that the last thing we want to do is taint his childhood by exposing him to an adults judgmental view. Our poor little buddy looked like a nerd covered head to toe in padding, but he had what he wanted!

He occasionally worked on learning how to push off with his foot and ride on our flat driveway, and then slowly learned how to turn (kinda)... So to him, of course the next logical step was to go to the Skate Park. Yesterday was just the day.

When we arrived at the skatepark, I was terrified. There were kids everywhere! Big kids too. They were good. My poor little boy was going to get run over or made fun of or hurt... Or even worse feel ashamed. He was excited though! He jumped out of the car, threw on his pads and helmet and started unloading. 

My fears became reality. He did get in people's way, he did fall down a couple of times, and he seemed disappointed that he couldn't do much besides ride around in a circle. An amazing thing happened though, and those big kids surprised me. When he fell, they asked if he was okay. They understood he was little and let him do his thing even when they had to screech to a halt because he got in their way. Not a single mean word was said, no whispers behind his back, just honest to goodness compassion and humility. Their concern over his scrapes and bruises was enough to encourage him to keep trying. He kept at it, and his confidence grew.

It grew so much in fact that he came up to me and said, "I dont want to hurt your feelings, but do you think I could skateboard alone and that you could like go sit in the car or something?" OUCH! Straight to the heart! So he didn't actually say to pack sand, but it sure did feel like it! It's a mixed feeling you get when that kind of thing happens. It's a little bit sad and a little bit proud. Sad that he didn't need me around, but proud that he was confident in himself that I wasn't needed.

I didn't go to the car, but I distanced myself, and as I did I saw even more magic. His confidence and determination were hard for anyone to miss, he tried new things, and made new friends. As parents, we can't be a part of every aspect of our kids life, and one day they won't need us, but watching them shape into amazing individuals is a beautiful, beautiful thing. 

-C

"Just" a Stepmom

If you've been following Mumsy Memoirs, you've probably noticed that I have not written a post in a week. Well... Only a couple of posts into the "blogger-sphere" and I swear I must have hit a "internet trolls commence" button because I received a message questioning my right to have a mommy blog since I am in fact not a real mother. At first I was a little taken back. Did it really offend someone to the extent that the they would take the time out of their day to call me out??

I used the past week to dig down deep and put some thought into the words of this individual. As I began to ponder these thoughts, the infamous "T.H.I.N.K. Before you share" infographic popped into my mind. You know..

T - is it true?

H - is it helpful?

I - is it inspiring?

N - is it necessary?

K - is it kind?

Clearly, I know the posts I write are true. I always hope to be helpful and inspiring and obviously kind, but I became stuck on necessary. How necessary is it for me to be writing a "mommy blog"? After all, I'm just a stepmom. I took a couple days to see what possible fact I could conjure, that could justify that what I was doing was necessary. Then it hit me like a freight train... I'm not just a Stepmom. I am a Stepmom, and I'm damn proud of the parent I am. (Isn't it funny how one word can dramatically change the meaning of a sentence?)

I came into my little boogers life when he was still very young. He doesn't know of a life with his bio-mom and Daddy instead of his daddy and his Caity (And to answer the question you have in the back of your mind -- No, I was not "the other woman"). I changed diapers, wiped snot off his face with my own clothes in desperation, and kissed hundreds of boo-boo's and scraped knees. I invited in a little shadow into my bed in the middle of the night after a nightmare, and snuggled, and played, and taught , and learned more then I could've ever imagined. I fell in love with the absolute sweetest little boy -- all because I invited the opportunity to accept the love his father gave me. 

Becoming a stepparent is hard. There is no manual they give you, no "What to Expect" books, only suggestions from other step-parents that may or may not have a situation similar to yours. A decision as simple as having dessert or going to a movie can be cause for conflict. Something that you would never think twice about if they were your own kid, now becomes a decision you have to heavily weigh and hope that your doing the right thing. So you keep on keepin' on and do your best. Sometimes your best pisses people off. Sometimes certain people are just pissed because whatever your doing is the best. In either case, step-parenting is not for the faint of heart. 

You shrug off the judgement that comes at you from all directions and you objectively try to do what's best for the child every time it comes time for you to do anything. When being a stepmama, there is never consideration about what's best for yourself or dad or bio mom, it's all about the kids! Period. There is no right or wrong in being a stepparent so you have to wander the grey area alone. 

There is a fun side of step-parenting though, and that's that you get to be whatever your kiddo needs. Sometimes, J needs a friend, a confidante, a teammate, a coach, a teacher, a boo-boo inspector, a personal chef, or a gaming opponent. Then other times, he needs me to be a mom. It's not to push his bio-mom out of his life or step on her toes. It's to step up and give J what he needs and deserves. 

Sometimes a bio-parent may be stubborn and doubt a child's ability, and a stepparent can step in and teach the kiddo potty training because they needed it. Other times, a bio-parent may have dropped the ball on teaching their kid to tie their shoes. After waiting and waiting and waiting for bio-parent to step up, a good stepparent steps in! Why you ask?? Because it's not about the adults, it's about the children and their needs. As long as you are doing everything in your power to do what's best for the kids, nothing else matters. 

I am not wicked as movies suggest, and I do not wish to "play house" with another woman's biological child. Being a stepparent wasn't ever something I wished for but I do everything I can to make sure that J has everything he needs. I do this because I am a Stepmom.

"Too Cool" Mom

I think we've established over the last couple posts that I'm crazy. Not seriel killer crazy, but definitely "chase my kid around the park with t-Rex arms and growling" kind of crazy. I see moms on the bench judging me in their put together outfits with high heels and perfect hair, but I'm going to let you in on a little secret... I DONT CARE! I will absolutely run up and down the playground equipment and play tag and go down the slide a million times because that's the kind of mom I am. I cant be the "too cool" mom, so I refuse to try. It works out great for some people and that is awesome if it does for you, but it doesn't for me and here's why:

1. Look at my kid. Do you see that ear to ear grin? That alone is worth enduring anyone's snotty stares. Every kid wants their parents to play with them even when they don't ask, gosh, especially when they don't ask! While on vacation, J and I were playing in the pool at the hotel and a young girl, probably about 10 came up and said "I wish my mom played with me like that, your son is very lucky". (We invited her to play sharks and minnows with us). But how sad is that?!? A 10 y/o little girl who feels left out by her mom?

2. Priorities. I want my children to always know that they are my priority. That no matter what, when they need me I'll be there for them. Creating trust like that doesn't happen over night, and I think we all know that actions speak louder then words.

3. Learning. My stepson knows that whenever I can, I will play with him. He knows beyond a doubt that he is a fun kid and that I enjoy my time with him. So, when I actually am busy and can't play with him, he doesn't question me. He trusts that what I am doing really, truly is important. By playing with him as often as I can, I have also been able to help teach him when and where playtime is appropriate. You won't ever see J running around a restaurant because he knows that that's not the place. 

4. Deeper level of trust. Chances are when you spend an hour with your kid giving them tips on how to slide into base or flip on the monkey bars they are going to value your opinion. Later that night when you tell them spinach is actually good and will help fuel them up for tomorrow's baseball... They might actually trust your opinion on that too!

5. Confidence. When I sit out at the park because I'm afraid of what other moms might think of me, I'm showing J that strangers options matter or that having fun is something to be ashamed of. He's not doing anything wrong and neither am I by playing, why would I dare taint his idea of playtime like that?! That's what childhood is supposed to be!

There are lots of reasons why cutting loose with your kids is a great thing -- for you and them! Of course different things work for different people, but this is what works for us and why!

How do you play with your kids? What kind of mom are you??

~C

First adventures of summer!

I was so blessed as a child to have been given a vast array of experiences. Unlike most kids that were in my elementary school class, I had taken every mode of transportation (plane, train, boat, ect..) and some I had even been given the opportunity to drive! I was a pretty well traveled little snot and could easily fit into a fancy brunch at a five-star hotel, as well as, squat in the woods to pee. If I thank my parents for anything, it would have to be all of the experiences they gave me. Those experiences gave me a glimpse into so many different "worlds" that I was able to relate to an assortment people and even have an advantage in school. The outcomes of all those experiences are what drive me to want to provide a similar childhood for my stepson. 

We started our summer adventure list off with a simple hike up the Castle rock, which is right here in town. I got a little excercise, and he got so much more. We saw a couple of rabbits, some lizards and learned some basic hiking rules like stepping to the side for other hikers. Just that simple hike got us talking about things we probably never would have, and was a great overall experience. We will definitely be adding some more hikes t to our "adventure list" this summer!

The next thing we crossed off our summer to-do list was to go to Morrison, CO and visit Dinosaur Ridge. What a COOL place! We actually got free tickets from our local library so I would definitely recommend to check with your to see if they do something similar!! 

Currently, that area of the foothills is one of the only migration paths that birds of prey use in North America. That particular ridge also happens to be their "resting place" because they can gain good visual clues from the high elevation. 

Billions and billions of years ago though, Colorado was beachfront property and dinosaurs roamed around! We had the most amazing tour and viewed some incredible tracks and markings left from those ancient beings. J learned so, SO much and just hung on every word the guide said. For a kid who hasn't even been interested in dinosaurs since his toddler age, he was still completely infatuated and I'm not sure he has thought anything has been that "cool" in a while!

If you are in Colorado, I highly recommend both trips! Both little adventures were free, both allowed me to get in some excercise, both were tons of fun, and both are experiences that expanded his mind and created great memories!

What adventures do you have on your list??? Comment below!

-C

Keep kids reading over summer!

If your kiddo is in school, I'm sure you've already gotten the plea from teachers.. "Make sure kids keep reading over summer!!". It's no secret that if your kiddos aren't reading over the summer that it could potentially and most likely set them back and put them on the "summer slide". The summer slide is not a good thing. In fact, while many different opinions are out there on the World Wide Web, the average loss of skills is about 22% of the school year! I don't know about you, but read our sweet little tushies off during the school year. We worked hard on fluency, we worked on vocabulary and we read and read and read to help our little booger get to where he needed to be. He entered into the first grade below grade average at a DRA reading level 2 and ended the year at a level 20+. Like h-e-double hockey sticks if I'm not going to help him retain those skills over summer! 

But wait! How in the world is it possible over summer? The schedule is completely different, we have things to do, vacations to go on, it's hard to be a part-time teacher too! ---If this is your thought process, you might want to keep reading.

Here are my tips to ensuring your kiddo gets the literacy time they need:

1. Be a role model. Kids often will try to mimick your priorities. If you don't care about reading, chances are that they won't either. So pick up a book, a magazine, or read a blog ; ) and show your kids that reading can be fun!

2. Participate. So many organizations out there have kids reading programs that you can join in on. The best place to look is always your local library, then make sure you check out any independent book stores! If all else fails, look into a larger book store chain like Barnes and Noble. Even some Pizza Hut franchises have a reading program! Most of these place make reading programs fun and offer incentives for your kids so they can look forward to a new book or prize or even a pizza! It can be so much fun for kids to set goals and watch them achieve them!

3. Have plenty of reading material. This one sounds obvious, but it took me a while to realize that J got bored of reading when his reading level was low. At that level, you could only find so many books that were "just right" for him and they all had the same formatting, same characters, and same basic story line with no details. I started going to independent book stores, shipping books in, and getting several books a month and J completely changed! He was so excited to see what new and unique books he got to read. I just made sure to keep them coming and to make sure they were all different!

4. Read to them. When kids are small, it doesn't matter how many unique books you buy, the fact of the matter is, that until they are reading at a 2nd/3rd grade level AT LEAST, books are vague. The have very few details in order to keep the vocabulary at an achievable level, so honestly, they can be pretty boring. Go pick up your favorite elementary chapter book and read them a chapter a night. You'd be amazed at how much ambition they gain when they become fascinated by a story line. (I'll post later about some of our favorites)

5. Visit. Spend a Saturday at a bookstore or at your local library! Chances are you could even catch a storytime or fun activity! At my local library, there is an entire wing dedicated to kids that's decorated fun, has engineering toys, puppet shows, music, kids magazines, computers set up with literacy games and awesome reading spaces. Let your kiddo explore and find new books and it might lead to new interests! That single trip could feed your child's passion for reading!

6. Change the rules. During the school year, kids are told what to read, when to read and how long to read. It's not bad, that's just how it is. Especially with sports, you have to have routine. During the summer though, we let J loose! We make sure to set aside time everyday for him to read, but everything else is up to him. He chooses the medium (computer article, magazine, book, ect..), he chooses what he wants to read, and chooses how long he wants to read. We've found that by giving him the freedom, he actually becomes more engaged and reads way longer then he would otherwise. The goal is to try to eliminate summer learning loss so it doesn't really matter how we achieve it, just that we do!

As always, please comment/share! I'm happy to help you find other solutions if you have a tricky kiddo! 

Happy reading!

~C

What do I Wear?!?

I'm not going to lie, being a parent has made me feel ...(wait for it)... Like I have multiple personalities! Yeah, you were waiting for me to say magical or give you some sappy answer, but really I'm just crazy. I feel like the biggest issue facing parents today is the struggle between expectations and reality. I would love to be one of those "on top of it" moms with the perfect Pinterest crafts and matching snacks, but I have an actual, real life to live, so those Pinterest worthy projects have to actually be worth my time. For it to be worth my time, it needs to give back... And by that, I mean I want it to make something easier for me!

Now, I didn't actually find this on Pinterest, but it definitely gave me the inspiration while pursuing through more creative people's ideas! This "what do I wear" chart was a straight blessing during the school year and has completely taken the arguing out of getting ready in the morning, so it definitely classifies under the "worth my time" category. 

Every Sunday, I write down the weekly forecast with temperature and whatever weather icon is on my iPhone on our family's Week Calendar. This calendar is located right in the hub of our home so it's easily accessible to my husband and I, as well as the little guy. Every morning, J can take a quick look at the calendar to see what the temperature is going to be and look to see if it's going to be sunny, cloudy, raining or snowing. With information acquired, he can go to his closet and check out this handy-dandy little chart I made!

As you can see from the picture, it's just a table from a word document, nothing too fancy. J just has to see where the temperature is and then it clearly lists what articles of clothing he can wear. For example, if it's 71* out, he finds the 70 on his chart and looks down the line-- okay,t-shirt, shorts, and I need to have a sweater. In his closet I keep a couple of pre-made outfits so he can just grab and go, but most of the time it's really up to his choosing what shirt or pants he wears because I know he will still be dressed appropriately for the weather.

Now, the chart is not perfect. There are still mornings where I give him some additional instruction because let's face it, I live in Colorado and the weather is crazier then I am, but most days it's an awesome foundation to build off of.

Remember to comment with any questions or thoughts, share with anyone and everyone, and follow/like!

Happy Monday!

~C

Mumsy Memoirs has liftoff!

3, 2, 1... Blastoff!

We are now expanding our social media footprint! Yay! 

Your at the website so no need to post our URL but you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram!!

Facebook - www.facebook.com/mumsymemoirs

Instagram - @mumsymemoirs

PLEASE give me some feedback and tell me what you like/what you don't like, if there are any topics you'd like me to cover, and any comments you have! Once we have a few more followers you can look forward to some giveaways (free stuff, yay!!) so share/follow/like/comment!

Sleepytime Tea Recipe

YES, this is the tea I was talking about in my previous post about Bedtime. You want this recipe. Yes, yes, yes. This sweet elixir helps my little booger start nodding off to dreamland and actually is pretty delectable!

Everyone knows about the warm milk trick to help with insomnia, this just takes it to the next, and yummier level. First I fill J’s mug 3/4 full of milk. In the picture it shows 1%, but most of the time for this tea I give him whole milk. I microwave that for about 1 minute or until its lukewarm.

Next, I put about a half a tablespoon of honey. 

**WAIT** WHY ARE YOU GIVING HIM SUGAR BEFORE BED???

–Good Question! While the honey does act as a sweetener to make the tea a little more appealing, honey can actually act as a sleep aid! Check out this informative little bit I found here.

“Honey can be a health aid for sleepless nights. Similar to sugar, honey can cause a rise in insulin and release serotonin — a neurotransmitter that improves mood and happiness. “The body converts serotonin into melatonin, a chemical compound that regulates the length and the quality of sleep,” Rene Ficek, registered dietitian and lead dietitian nutritionist at Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating in Chicago, Ill., told Medical Daily in an email.

Moreover, honey also contains several amino acids, including tryptophan that is commonly associated with turkey. Honey’s steady rise in insulin, according to Brennecke, causes the tryptophan in honey to enter the brain, where it’s then converted into serotonin and then into melatonin, which is a sleep aid. This hormone is responsible for regulating sleep and wake cycles.”

Yep, you heard it right, all the ingredients in this tea will help your kiddo sleep even though it tastes great! SO back to the recipe…

I put the warm milk and honey back in the microwave for about 30 seconds just to warm the honey up enough that it’s easy to stir. You want the milk/honey mixture to be warm but not to hot for your little ones.

Then I steep the Traditional Medicines Organic Nighty Night tea in the milk mixture until it gets a slight caramel color to it. It wont actually turn dark because of all the milk, but it will change color enough that you’ll know.

If you like the recipe and the blog so far, follow/share/like!

Sweet Dreams little boogers!
-C

Bedtime

Ahhh, the dreaded “Bedtime”. That single word on its own can be the cause of nightmares for parents everywhere! While as an adult, I personally cannot wait until bedtime, it usually isn’t the same with kids. Kids see bedtime as being left alone…in the dark… with monsters… that are going to GET THEM… and then they’re going to DIE. No, really, but in all seriousness, kids really do see bedtime as the worst possible scenario to end their day!

I hear all the time about the song and dance parents do every night to get their kids to even just lay in their room, and it’s ludicrous! **NEWSFLASH** If those little boogers don’t sleep, you don’t sleep, so how do you actually make that happen?! My “step”-booger is 7 years old, and I thank the lucky stars that we started our nigh-night routine a couple of years ago because now he practically puts himself to bed!

Here’s what the magical “Nigh-Night Routine" looks like at our house:

We eat dinner around 5:30pm-6:00pm depending on what I’m cooking. I think its been important in our home to keep this pretty consistent because hungry boys = grumpy boys and not having dinner at the same time has pretty much always made that happen! After dinner, J has to “clean up his place” at the table by bringing the dishes to the sink to rinse off and load in the dishwasher. He then has about 30 minutes of playtime, followed by a quick 20 minute pick-up of any toys, his playroom and bedroom.

After clean-up, J gets his specialty “Sleepytime Tea“. During clean-up and tea time, I’m running the bath for him with the most A-M-A-Z-I-N-G bubbles known to man, Aromasauruas “Sleep”, which is an organic aroma therapy bubble bath for kids. I say with the most sincere and serious face, it’s amaze-balls. The mixture of lavender, poppy, tangerine, passion flower, rose, and chamomile even made my rough and tough, country hubby beg to soak in some! Now, J totally knows that this is all a set-up so he works hard to get any playtime he can while soaking in the tub but honestly, its okay because the sleepytime tea and bubbles are already working their magic and relaxing him! (BTW he usually hops in the bath at 7:00pm and out by 7:30pm)

Now, I break up the paragraph because I think it’s important that I note that the above routine is what we do normally, however, now that he has gotten SO good at going to bed, all of those things don’t “HAVE TO” happen. If your just starting a bedtime routine, I seriously recommend it and recommend sticking with it every single night, but once your routine is established you can start cutting corners.

After bath-time it’s time for J to get on his pajamas. His bottom dresser drawer is filled with pre-matched pj outfits so he can choose whatever he wants whether it be aliens, baseball, or sharks! We go potty, brush teeth, find a stuffed animal, and say a prayer, then its time for the quintessential part of nigh-night routine. J has already read books before dinner time for his homework log, so instead of getting that big brain turning gears, he simply reads a poem. The deal is, if he reads — I read, and he always wants to listen to a story. I can’t stress enough how much I believe in the importance of kids reading every day and being read to every day. Even when they first start reading, their books are honestly not very captivating so I’ve noticed that when you read them a good book, they become more interested in wanting to read. I usually just read one chapter, but if he wasn’t goofing off it usually allows for an extra one!      

After story, he gets up and goes potty one more time and shuts off his bedroom light. He crawls back into his bed with me and he gets a couple minutes if he has anything else to say. This could be a request for breakfast in the morning, or letting me know something he forgot to tell me during the day, but most the time is just gibberish, followed by an “I love you”. Next, and most importantly, we have “snuggles”. I set the time on my phone for ten minutes. During those ten minutes, there is no talking or goofing off and eyes must be shut. If he breaks any of those rules, I am allowed to get up and leave. We snuggle for ten minutes, and most the time he is out before my alarm even goes off. The doo-da-do-da-doo-da-do on my phone is silenced, and I kiss him goodnight.
Sweet dreams
~C