Category Archives: Discipline

Just solidifying my old lady status

Holy crap I’m exhausted today.

As Brandy would say, “I mommed the shit out of this weekend.”

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See? Even wore a total mom outfit…cardi, skinnies & ballet flats.

Andy was busy working outside all weekend {springtime in the country, it’s a beautiful thing.} hauling firewood, working on the tractor and just generally doing some spring cleaning on the property. That meant I was on solo kid duty.

Saturday I was showered and ready before 8 AM…that? never happens. The girls & I were out of the house by 10:30, hitting Target, of course. We did a bit of shopping then headed out to the airport to have lunch at my best friend’s restaurant…she’s working Saturday’s now/again {WOMP}, so I thought maybe she’d like a visit from a couple of cute little girls. {I got multiple compliments on how cute, darling & well behaved my girls are.}

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After lunch we headed home and after Reese napped we headed outside.

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Sunday the girls and I hit two grocery stores, grabbed doughnuts on the way home then spent a bunch more time outside. While Reese knocked out a 2-ish hour nap I weeded the front flower beds.

There was a mid afternoon bath for Rylee courtesy of the unfortunate placement of her head being directly in line with Reese spitting up.

Then of course there was the general household duties that I attempted to work in there too.

We topped off the weekend with ham, homemade mac-n-cheese, biscuits and veggies.

From sun up to sun down I didn’t stop. Chasing after kids. Holding a needy, teething Reese. Bending. Running. Cooking. Etc. Etc. Etc.

I had my phone tucked away nearly the entire weekend and it was glorious.

But now? I feel old. Like…I didn’t do anything seemingly out of the ordinary, yet here I am on Monday morning completely worn out and physically sore.

And as if it weren’t already completely obvious that I’m the oldest not-even-thirty-year-old on the planet {remember?}, I’ve gone and done it again…Today I’m over on Brandy’s blog ranting about how kids these days are kind of assholes. <–GO READ IT!

Apparently the sun got to me this weekend, because today? COLORED TIGHTS!

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Happy Monday Friends!!

Radio Scilence

You know the saying “if you don’t have anything nice to day, don’t say anything at all”? Yea, that’s pretty much been me this week.

After coming off of the high from last weekend, this week was just kind of…meh.

We had an epic food battle with Rylee that spanned 4 different meals over 3 days all over food that she has always loved that she suddenly decided she didn’t like . Uh yea…not gonna fly in our house, kid. Long story short, and leaving out details that would get me judged by even the strictest of parents, those days? Sucked hard. And meal times and the time following? Were not fun at all.

I took Rylee in to the Allergy specialist yesterday for some allergy testing. After playing outside on Saturday, she came in the house and almost instantly started sneezing, coughing and had a leaky nose. And, since we live right next to the county literally known as the “GRASS SEED CAPITOL OF THE WORLD!” allergies here are bad…really, really bad. She was tested about 2 years ago and everything was fine then, but I wasn’t sure how often they recommend testing kiddos, so I went ahead and took her in. I tell you what, my kid is a trooper. She got a lollipop, a funky sea-urchin type ring and a sticker. She shared the sticker with her baby sister.

And bonus! No allergies!! The doctor did say that all the pollen in the air can be an irritant, hence the allergy like symptoms, but Rylee does not have allergies. Thank goodness, because my allergies start to drive me crazy this time of year.

After fighting all week with what I thought was a nutso allergy attack has turned into a cold. Last night I was miserable and ate a bowl of cereal for dinner. Today I’ve got a sinus headache that really needs to go fly a kite.

On top of all that, work was kind of stressful this week and just well…not fun.

But hey! It’s Friday! Rylee wants to have a family movie night picnic dinner in the living room tonight. We’re going to watch Balto. And yes, it’s even on VHS.

Tomorrow our little family of three is headed to the coast and meeting my sister and her fiance. The weather is supposed to be pretty nice. The condo is on the beach. We may hit up the Marine Science Center. Rylee has requested we build a sand castle. There’s talk of fresh fish for dinner.

Sunday is Earth Day…I’m thinking after we get home from the coast we may strike out on a walk along our road and pick up litter or something. A little exercise, a little good deed. Win-win, right?

Long story short? I am so thankful today is Friday because I’m ready to have nice things to say again!

The Cheese Stands Alone: A Battle of Wills

Anyone that knows my husband will read this next line and think “Uh, duh”. But if you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting him, I’ll fill you in on something…

He is extremely stubborn.

He takes after his father and his grandmother this way.

And our daughter? Well, let’s just say that apple didn’t fall very far from the tree.

I’ve always known she was stubborn, but last night, she let us know just how stubborn she could be.

After waking up from her nap, Rylee decided she’d like a snack. She said cheese and crackers sounded pretty good, and Andy thought so too so he got a snack for both of them. He put some sliced up cheese and a pile of ritz crackers on a plate, then handed Ry a paper towel so she could grab what she’d like. She took a few crackers and one piece of cheese.

She took one tiny bite of the cheese and set it back on her paper towel, then preceded to eat all of her crackers and tell us she was done.

Uhhh…no you’re not. You love cheese. You chose to take a piece, you need to eat it.

No. I don’t want it.

Rylee you will eat that piece of cheese before you get anything else. You can choose to eat it now, while it’s still good or you can choose to eat it before dinner, but it won’t taste as good.

And so, there it sat on the paper towel.

A couple of hours passed and soon it was time to set the table for dinner. One of Rylee’s favorite dinners, by the way…roasted chicken, green beans, and fetuccini alfredo pasta.

The lonely piece of cheese moved from the paper towel to her dinner plate.

Andy was not letting up on this one. And I get it, her eating habits have been horrible lately, saying she wants one thing, then not wanting it 5 minutes later. And things she LOVES too. Frankly, it’s getting old.

Rylee sat there with nothing on her plate but that little bit of cheese until Andy & I were nearly done eating before she finally decided that she wasn’t going to win this one.

She ate choked down the cheese and any 3.5 year old drama queen would do and preceded to eat a fantastic dinner.

Weird.

{And by weird, I mean not weird at all. She is so much like her father, sometimes it’s scary.}

Looking Ahead to Your Teenage Years {Halloween}

Dear Rylee,

We had so much fun the other night. It was so amazing to watch you be so brave and walk up the steps of those houses that were dimly lit with eerie music playing. You have grown so much since last year yet; you are still filled with the wonder of it all and still so innocent.

There will come a time when you’ll want to venture out and trick-or-treat with your friends. Believe me when I say that I’m ok with that…but convincing your father may be a different story. I’m guessing that day will come sooner than we’d like, but when it does, I want you to remember a few things…

If you’re going to go out trick-or-treating, no matter how old you are, you will be dressing up. End of story. It doesn’t have to be some big fancy, expensive costume, but seriously…put a little bit of effort into it.

Contrary to popular belief, Halloween is not just an excuse for girls to dress likes hoochies and get away with it. Seriously. Plus, it’s the end of October…it’s going to be cold out…bring a sweater! If you must, at least save that for your college years when you’re over 18 and out of the house.

If you’re going to go out trick-or-treating, you better not think you’re “too cool” to actually say “trick-or-treat”. None of this knocking on the door and just holding out your bag business…that’s not gonna fly.

After you knock on the door, in your costume, say “trick-or-treat” and get your candy? The words “thank you” {or some variation of} better come out of your mouth. I don’t care how much of a hurry you’re in to get to the next house, those people didn’t have to spend who-knows-how-much-money to buy candy for total strangers and you need to appreciate it.

Be mindful of the little kids, because it’s really for them, not you. Be mindful of the adults taking the little kids around from house to house. If they’re trying to drive down the road, just get out of the way, you are not “holier than though” or owed anything. Be respectful. Watch your language.

I sum all this up with 3 words: don’t be an asshole. 

Hugs & Kisses,

Mama

P.S. These words of wisdom, go right along with the first “looking ahead to your teenage years” letter I wrote you. Trust me, as you grow, there will be more.

Dear Rylee: Looking ahead to your teenage years

My Dear Miss Rylee,

I know you only recently turned 3, and that your teenage years seem so far off, but I’ve been thinking lately and I wanted to go over a few things about what you can and cannot expect when you hit those dreaded wonderful teen years. And while I’m at it, I’ll also throw in a few tips that’ll make the whole world a happier place.

I don’t even know where to start…

I guess since it’s Summer break and I’ve been running into this a lot lately (no pun intended) we’ll start here…

When you’re a teenager and you cross a street or parking lot or anywhere else you could potentially hold up traffic, DON’T BE AN ASSHOLE! You need to be considerate of other people my dear. That means I want you to run that sweet little behind across the road so that the car doesn’t have to stop just because you’ve got the “pedestrians have the right of way” mentality. And also? If you’re on a road with a sidewalk, for the love of all things holy, use.the.sidewalk.

I want you to be mindful of others. That means when you’re walking through the mall (or football game or where ever) with your little pack of girlfriends, don’t take up the entire walkway. People may want to go around you you know. And people also don’t want to hear about “how drunk you were at so-n-so’s party last week” or that those shorts that girl had on made her look like such a skank…or whatever mean term you crazy kids will use by that point.

I happen to think that last little bit also ties in with not being hateful or judgmental or rude.

Back to being mindful of others, and considerate for that matter, if you notice someone close-ish behind you as you are walking into a building, wait and hold the door for them. Then smile at them too. It’ll brighten their day. This rule also applies to any pregnant lady, mom with babies/toddlers, any older person and anyone with their hands full. Don’t question it, it’s just the right thing to do.

Never, ever underestimate the power of a solid handshake and eye contact. I know you might think it’s silly, but trust me on this one. Oh, and you’d be smart to mention that to any boy you plan on dating too.

Honey I am going to tell you right now, you are not going to get paid for good grades…ever. I don’t care if all of your friends get paid for every A they get. You need to try your hardest, that’s all your dad and I ask. If you don’t get straight A’s, that’s fine as long as you put forth your very best effort.
As long as you are busy in school with sports, or some other extra curricular activity like 4H or FFA or DECA or whatever you choose, your father and I will provide you with a vehicle to drive and pay for your gas and insurance. The minute you stop participating in sports or your chosen activity for whatever reason? You better plan on getting a job. Period.
Well, baby girl, I think that’s all I’ve got for now but don’t be surprised if I add to this list someday.
I want you to love your teenage years, but I also want you to be a well rounded kid that has some common courtesies that are no longer so common.
If you want me to teach you a proper handshake, just let me know.
I love you more than life itself,
Your Mama
Photo Credit
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Have anything to add to my list? Leave me a comment…I want to hear!