If You Give a Mom a Muffin

 

Derived from the popular children book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, I found this poem floating around Facebook.  I’m not sure of its origin but I knew I had to share. It is describes my day perfectly…. And probably yours too!!

If You Give a Mom a Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin,
She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some.
Her three year-old will spill the coffee.
She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks.
She’ll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper.
She’ll get out a pound of hamburger.
She’ll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With a Pound of Hamburger)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The checkbook is in the purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She’ll smell something funny.
She’ll change the two-year-old.
While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She will remember that she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are,
If she has a cup of coffee,
The kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

A Beautiful Mess

I am a Beautiful Mess. My children are a Beautiful Mess. My husband is a Beautiful Mess. My house is a Beautiful Mess. My life is a Beautiful Mess.

I am very thankful for the friends and support I have found with my local MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group.  They have taught me how to love, share, support, encourage and have more patience. Also to not judge myself and my fellow mamas.

It has been a cleaning and de-cluttering day here.  I definitely have spring fever because I this has been going on for about four weeks.  My 2 year old found a random piece of cardboard this morning, climbed up to the table and asked if she could paint. My first thought was 'Not the paint, that's to messy!!' And I told her not now because I wanted to clean up first. Unfortunately I find myself saying NO too often and YES not often enough.

I stopped myself in my tracks and realized there was nothing wrong with letting her paint. Why not keep her busy so I could finish a few things that I wanted to do. So I got her all set up to paint. Painting only lasted about 20 minutes and I may not have had the chance to do what I wanted, but my daughter had a blast painting picture after picture. She loves coloring, painting, writing and drawing and I feel like I deprive her of that when I tell her no. 

I did the same thing last week when they asked about playing playdough. My first reaction was the same.... but so was the outcome. My girls had fun and we made silly faces, pets, snowmen and spaghetti! We even made homemade playdough for the first time.

I recently realized I spend too much time cleaning and picking up after my kids and not enough time playing and making a mess with them. So, I decided to make a change.  My house has been more of a beautiful mess than usual, but we are also having more fun. 

I'm here to tell other mamas out there that You are not alone.  My house is not perfect and either is my family, but we need more YES and less NO. Laugh more... yell less. Play more... clean later. The time we have with our children goes by way too fast and we need to cherish it more. Stop what your doing and read the book with him, write her name with her, and have more fun. Because that's what will make the mess more beautiful.

Mommy, I have to go potty!!

Why are kids so fascinated with public restrooms? They think have to touch everything,  rub their hands along the handicap bar and fight over who gets to flush.  I hate them... toilets that is, not my kids!! Lol  I will avoid them at all costs!! I will usually have the kids go before we even leave the house but if my girls see a restroom sign they automatically think they have to pee.

When our oldest was potty training we spent most our time at home, but did travel a lot for doctor appointments and family visits. When I asked her to use the restroom before leaving I would always get the same reply... 'No, I can go at a gas station.'  Umm... no!!! If there's a choice, it definitely won't be the gas station!! Lol  She eventually out grew that thought process.

We recently finished potty training our middle child within the last few months.  She's not as crazy about the gas station as her sister was, but she will use any excuse to use the restroom at Albertsons or at sisters school. I did make the mistake one time of telling her to wait 'just a few more minutes' while we made it through the check out line. She of course couldn't have timed it any better.  Some issues came up and we spent WAY more time at the register than we should have.  Unfortunately the restrooms were on the other side of the store so I assured her she could wait.... she couldn't. I felt horrible. Not embarrassed or ashamed that my child just had an accident in the checkout lane, but horrible because it was my fault.  That's right, all my fault.

 

I've learned to listen to my children's needs a little more than my own.  You will no longer find my daughters doing a potty dance in the check out lane but you will find us racing each other down the aisles to see who can get to the bathroom first. 

I can't wait to see what our son has in store for us.