Time In A Bottle

Where has the time gone?  Today is my daughter's fourth birthday.  In my family, we have a birthday morning tradition that my Mom started when I was a little girl.  There was an album, remember those, titled Happy Birthday From Sesame Street.  The very first song on the album was called A Little Bit Bigger.  Every year, my Mom has sung this song to me.  When I wasn't living at home, away at college or now as a Mom with a home and family of my own, my Mom still calls me every birthday morning to sing this song to me. 

Browsing a music store when I was pregnant with my first child I came across the CD of the album.  I snatched it up and was so excited that I would be able to carry on this tradition with my child.  To my disappointment, the most important song that my Mom sang to me growing up was not included on the CD.  I called Sesame Street and spoke to them about the song, the special memories associated with my Mom singing it to me each birthday and that I was about to have a child of my own and would love to have a copy of this it.  Crazy, I know, but they were wonderful and sent me a copy of the song.

The mornings of my children's birthday I play the song for them.  The song is so simple, but says a lot.  Especially, the third verse.  Now that I have children of my own it puts a lump in my throat as I hope I get to enjoy a long life with them, watch them grow and create families of their own.  Here's the song lyrics - enjoy singing this to your children on their birthdays!

A Little Bit Bigger

Your birthday comes, your friends are here
And you're a little bit different than you were last year
You're growing tall, that's one thing new
And there's a brand new answer when I ask, "How old are you?"

(chorus)
You're little bit bigger, a little bit older
A little bit smarter than you were before!
You're a little bit bigger, a little bit nicer
And every year we like you even more!

Well you're my friend, so let me say
The day that you were born was a very special day
So once a year, here's what we'll do
We'll have an extra special party just for you!

Now time goes by, soon you'll be grown
Someday you may even have some children of your own
Still every year, here's what we'll do
We'll wish a wonderful, Happy Birthday just to you!

I found it on You Tube in case you want to take a listen click here.



4 Years Old

1st Birthday

 
Do you have any traditions?  Have they been carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?





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Laundry, Laundry Everywhere

I have to admit, I have a love/hate relationship with the laundry.  There are some days when I really enjoy doing laundry.  Sorting, loading into the washing machine, taking warm clothes out of the dryer, folding and putting clothes away.  Sometimes I feel like Snow White with the birds flying around me as I fold clothes while watching a guilty pleasure on television.  All goes smoothly and everyone is happy in the house with drawers full of clean clothes.  Favorite outfits at our disposal.

Other times, laundry goes horribly wrong.  I don't mean that I ruin the clothing.  I don't shrink clothes or get bleach stains.  What I mean is that I start out strong.  Sorting, loading into the washing machine, putting the clothes in the dryer.  Then, this is where it goes terribly wrong, I don't take the clothes out of the dryer in a timely fashion.  I may be talking about a couple of hours OR I may be talking about a day or two.  Before you pass judgement, please tell me I'm not the only one who is guilty of this.

You know what you get when you leave clothes in the dryer for some time once the cycle is complete?  I know you do.  You get a bunch of wrinkled clothes.  No matter how much I hand iron and how well you fold the laundry, it ends up looking like a sloppy mess.  Sometimes I just would put a brief, warm cycle on the dryer to "touch up" the clothes and help with the wrinkles.  It just wasn't doing the trick.

One day, I saw the most beautiful tweet from a detergent company on Twitter.  This little pearl of wisdom has changed my life when it comes to those pesky loads of laundry that don't make it from the dryer to the folding table in a timely fashion.  I add a couple of ice cubes to a quick drying cycle and the wrinkles disappear.  Voila!  Common sense right?  Something so simple, having a profound effect.  I used to get frustrated when I wound up with wrinkled clothes.

Don't fret about wrinkled clothes anymore.  Simply add them to the dryer with a couple of ice cubes and watch all your troubles - and wrinkles, fade away.

Do you have any household tricks that make your life easier?  Do you think you'll throw some ice cubes in the dryer the next time you have some wrinkled clothes?





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News Flash

I don't think I've watched the evening news in years.  My son is eight years old and quite frankly, I think it is too scary and overwhelming to have the news on in the house.  Of course, I can try to stay up and watch the 11 o'clock news at night - but I'm usually too exhausted.  Let's list the alternatives.  If I had the choice of watching The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother or The King of Queens - I know all cheesy sitcoms, or the news at 11 o'clock in the evening, I choose to enjoy the cheesy sitcom before going to sleep.

Over time, I felt like I had lost touch with current events.  I wasn't keeping up with the news on television.  I didn't get a newspaper delivered to my house.  I could look up current events on the internet or get an app on my phone of a major news organization but it is just too much to sort through.  I'd like to think I am a bright and intelligent person who likes to empower myself with information and knowledge about the world around me. I definitely felt out of touch.  My husband would come home from work and talk to me about things that are going on in the world and I just didn't have much to contribute to the conversation.  Like a deer in headlights and it frustrated me.

About a month ago, on Facebook one of those little boxes appeared with a notice that several of my friends LIKED theSkimm.  theSkimm is an email newsletter you can subscribe to that you will find in your inbox first thing every morning.  Summarizing international and domestic events it really is a wonderful source of information for Moms, or anyone, who wants to incorporate absorbing this information in their daily lives but are simply too short on time.  I subscribed about a month ago and am really happy I did.  Now each morning while I enjoy my coffee, I read theSkimm and catch up with the news in only a couple of minutes.  Now I won't look like a deer in headlights when my husband talks to me about current events.  Not only can I contribute to the conversation thanks to theSkimm, I might stump him with a news event he might not be aware of.

Do you watch the news with young children at home?  Do you find yourself out of the loop with current events?  What are your sources for getting information about current events?

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My name is Judy and I'm a SCREAMER

I don't know about you, but I have become a screamer.  This was never my intention.  In fact I promised myself I wouldn't be the Mom who raises her voice all the time to get her point across.  I'll make a pact right now.  I promise I will maintain a calm, even toned voice when communicating with my children or asking them to do things.  What I have found over time, simply asking in a calm manner does not always work - leaving me no choice, but to raise my voice.

The thing is, my children are young now.  They know better than to scream back at me, so when I scream they usually comply with what I am asking them to do.  Here's the thing though - I don't want to be remembered as a screamer.  I don't want my children to think of their childhood and say, "Oh yeah, my Mom was always screaming about something."  Worse, when they get older, I don't want them to think it's normal to scream when they communicate to their family, spouse or child.

I try really hard.  I do.  I tell myself today I will speak calmly, in a thoughtful yet firm manner that commands respect.  I start off that way, but once I ask for something to be done 2, 3, 4 times my voice gets 2, 3, 4 times louder.  My children and I have the conversation, "How many times should I have to ask you to do something?"  My children respond with the obligatory, "Only 1 time."  Yet, sometimes they simply don't comply.

So here I go.  I will make a pact to remain calm and in control when communicating with my children. Maybe this time all will fall into place and screaming will become a thing of the past.  Fingers crossed!

How many times I've asked nicely before I've raised my voice

How about you?  Are you a screamer or do you maintain even-toned when communicating with your children?  What are your secrets?

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Introducing Lola

We got a puppy and her name is Lola!  She is the reason why I haven't been able to post as regularly as I'd like.  Lola is not the first dog that I've had, but she is the first puppy with children.  Getting a puppy while having young children is a whole other animal.

Four years ago, the first dog my husband and I had as a family passed.  Her name was Baci - she was sweet and kind.  It took four years for me to be comfortable enough to get another dog.  I'm not naive, I knew getting a puppy was going to be a lot of work.  I just forgot how much work it was. Magnified by two young children.  You understand what I'm getting at, right?

We are finally seeing the fruits of our labor with our new puppy.  Lola is five months and she is turning into the sweet, kind puppy we always wanted. Trust me, there were times (too many to count) I questioned why we did this?  I mean getting a dog is a 12 year commitment.  You lose the freedom and flexibility of not having a dog depend on you to eat or being let out for the bathroom.  During rain or snow storms, you can't cuddle on the couch waiting for the storm to pass.  You need to bundle up and take your dog out for a walk - I'll leave that for my husband.

Even though it's been a crazy and hectic time, when I hear my children laugh while they play with her or watch her kiss them when they are sad - I know it has been worth it.  This is exactly what we wanted, a loving family pet that our children would love to spend time with.  Lola offers tons of entertainment but more importantly she offers comfort and unconditional love.

Do you have pets?  Are you thinking of getting pets with young children?  Would you wait for children to be older before you introduce a pet to your home?