Today's blog post is brought to you courtesy of last night's mini cupcake run. We grocery shopped this morning, which means lots of cuteness and making friends in the dairy aisle coupled with a significant expenditure of energy on my part. And choruses of, "Let's stick together! Are you sticking with me? Stick with me!!" throughout the aisles of Walmart because otherwise we are cruising for a traumatic child-losing incident. Although currently Mikayla runs back to me (when we are NOT "sticking together") with wild-eyed excitement and happiness because "I was lost!!" Oh dear. Hopefully this can at least become a workable object lesson next time we sing "Amazing Grace".
ANYWAY.
What does that have to do with cupcakes? They are my coping mechanism, my survival technique. Don't judge. I have three under three, one of them hitching a ride around my midsection everywhere we go and causing lots of fun times in Momma's digestive and endocrine systems. This momma? Entitled. Along with, arguably, every other Momma out there - please, go enjoy three guilt-free mini-cupcakes. I would mail them to you because you deserve to have baked deliciousness arrive on your doorstep, except I don't remember the last time I mailed something in either a timely or well-packed manner.
The digression is amazing here, isn't it? In case you were wondering, my background music is the kids playing a whistle they apparently found in their room when they are supposed to be napping. It's good for the concentration.
Ok, right, the cupcakes - they allow me to enjoy naptime by providing a much-needed energy burst and activating the pleasure centers of my brain which have lain dormant since we stepped foot inside Walmart. Thus, I am blogging instead of lying in a puddle of liquid Momma brains on the couch.
Speaking of liquid Momma brains, yesterday I took little man to the doctor's office to rule out an ear infection, only to have him officially diagnosed with an incredibly rare and concerning illness called, "teething". His prognosis is good, as long as Momma re-engages her brain and gives Tylenol as needed. Is there any convincing explanation as to why you haven't looked inside your child's mouth long enough to spot FOUR canine teeth erupting simultaneously? Do you brush your child's teeth regularly? Ever? Do you spend time in the same room? Do you love him at all?
Of course I love him. I let him sleep with his favorite whistle.
And I treat all his worst teething symptoms with Vicks Baby Rub and homeopathic ear drops. Obviously. Veteran mom right here. Acetaminophen is for wimps. Give that baby some perfume on his chest and call it a night.
Please, tell me you've been here? Moms of the Year, stand and unite. I'm going to go ahead and decide this was the point of this post, since there clearly hasn't been one evident til now. YOU, Momma, are doing a great job, even when you are so tired/frazzled/hormonal that you miss the completely obvious soiled diaper/lake of milk on the floor/budding teeth and wonder why your child is wailing and the house stinks. (Aside: Little man had a blow-out when he woke up this morning. It still stunk in their room when I took them up for naps, and I literally almost cried. Because that's how my sanity is hanging these days. I told you, cupcakes.)
Praying the current wave of hormones passes quickly and allows me to settle smoothly into second trimester next week. I don't know how much longer I can, in good conscience, subject my family to Crazy Momma! Thank God, truly, for grace and strength sufficient to each day (often in the form of an understanding husband and/or chocolate). And thanks for stopping in for a glimpse of my crazy.
Pom Pom Hats and Mitten Prayers
My poor kids have been braving the November cold sans mittens and with Isaac wearing my green cable-knit hat to keep his ears warm. I've been watching for winter attire, though, and finally made some great finds today!
First, the obligatory matching pom pom hats:
You don't know what it took at 5:10pm to get a picture that looks even that composed. Maybe somebody should be starting dinner instead of blogging, *ahem*.
But then I spotted some mittens on a yardsale site for M. Jackpot! The mom selling them lived only three minutes away, right in our small town, so after naps we loaded up and went. (I love how that sounds so simple. But really it entailed me messaging said mom multiple times with messages like, "They just fell asleep, so we will probably be later"..."Ok, they JUST woke up and are eating crackers, be over at 4:15", etc. And then of course coats, shoes, deciding WHICH hats to wear since we got new ones at Second Street this morning. But anyway...)
The really fun part comes when we pulled up to the "house with the mittens" as M dubbed it. Let's just say it was the sort of neighborhood that makes you self-conscious about paying for your fifty-cent mittens with nickels and dimes. Kind of like paying for lunch with laundry change in college. We had two pairs of mittens from which to choose. Trying them on, M discovered that the purple pair, which obviously were the ones she really wanted, fit perfectly AND had a heart on the back of each hand that (sort of) matches her purple heart-covered coat! She naturally declared that she would wear the mittens ALL DAY. Oh glee.
I paid the lady in toddler-offering-plate-currency and we headed out. M exclaimed, "Bye house, see you the next time! When we come back! Bye bye house!" I told her that now she and Isaac are both ready for the snow to come. She exclaimed (she does nothing BUT exclaim, btw), "My mittens will keep my hands DRY in the SNOW!" and then "I can put it on the GROUND and make a SNOW MAN!!" I agreed with everything she said because it's easier that way, and told her we could ask God to send us some snow. She promptly clapped her hands together in preparation to pray, and the flood of emotions that washed over her little face as she realized that you can't fold your hands to pray in mittens!! She looked shocked, horrified, devastated, confused - would God still hear her little request? Oh, it was all I could do not to laugh.
And then when she did pray, it was "Dear God, thank you for that we can send snow. In Jesus name we pray, Amen." Precious.
Also, as we drove to get the mittens she kept saying, "Can we shoot back home?" I finally said, "Ok" just to acknowledge her, even though I had no idea what she meant. She responded with, "Ok, let's turn around then." So she apparently uses grown-up jargon now to talk about where she wants to "shoot" in the car.
These kids are just too much. I know this was mostly about M, but little man has had his moments today, too. He woke up from his nap all kisses and snuggles, and crawled into M's bed with her to bestow all manner of toddler affection on his sister. And soon directed it toward Momma as well. My melting heart, that would have been the perfect opportunity for him to ask me for a new tractor or jungle gym or M&M's for life. Putty in his hands. Let's hope he never realizes it!
Here's a bonus picture just because I'm feeling generous. The doctor's office this morning was giving out free reindeer antler hats. The look on I's face about sums up his feelings on the whole ordeal. M, of course, wanted to wear hers ALL DAY.
First, the obligatory matching pom pom hats:
You don't know what it took at 5:10pm to get a picture that looks even that composed. Maybe somebody should be starting dinner instead of blogging, *ahem*.
But then I spotted some mittens on a yardsale site for M. Jackpot! The mom selling them lived only three minutes away, right in our small town, so after naps we loaded up and went. (I love how that sounds so simple. But really it entailed me messaging said mom multiple times with messages like, "They just fell asleep, so we will probably be later"..."Ok, they JUST woke up and are eating crackers, be over at 4:15", etc. And then of course coats, shoes, deciding WHICH hats to wear since we got new ones at Second Street this morning. But anyway...)
The really fun part comes when we pulled up to the "house with the mittens" as M dubbed it. Let's just say it was the sort of neighborhood that makes you self-conscious about paying for your fifty-cent mittens with nickels and dimes. Kind of like paying for lunch with laundry change in college. We had two pairs of mittens from which to choose. Trying them on, M discovered that the purple pair, which obviously were the ones she really wanted, fit perfectly AND had a heart on the back of each hand that (sort of) matches her purple heart-covered coat! She naturally declared that she would wear the mittens ALL DAY. Oh glee.
I paid the lady in toddler-offering-plate-currency and we headed out. M exclaimed, "Bye house, see you the next time! When we come back! Bye bye house!" I told her that now she and Isaac are both ready for the snow to come. She exclaimed (she does nothing BUT exclaim, btw), "My mittens will keep my hands DRY in the SNOW!" and then "I can put it on the GROUND and make a SNOW MAN!!" I agreed with everything she said because it's easier that way, and told her we could ask God to send us some snow. She promptly clapped her hands together in preparation to pray, and the flood of emotions that washed over her little face as she realized that you can't fold your hands to pray in mittens!! She looked shocked, horrified, devastated, confused - would God still hear her little request? Oh, it was all I could do not to laugh.
And then when she did pray, it was "Dear God, thank you for that we can send snow. In Jesus name we pray, Amen." Precious.
Also, as we drove to get the mittens she kept saying, "Can we shoot back home?" I finally said, "Ok" just to acknowledge her, even though I had no idea what she meant. She responded with, "Ok, let's turn around then." So she apparently uses grown-up jargon now to talk about where she wants to "shoot" in the car.
These kids are just too much. I know this was mostly about M, but little man has had his moments today, too. He woke up from his nap all kisses and snuggles, and crawled into M's bed with her to bestow all manner of toddler affection on his sister. And soon directed it toward Momma as well. My melting heart, that would have been the perfect opportunity for him to ask me for a new tractor or jungle gym or M&M's for life. Putty in his hands. Let's hope he never realizes it!
Here's a bonus picture just because I'm feeling generous. The doctor's office this morning was giving out free reindeer antler hats. The look on I's face about sums up his feelings on the whole ordeal. M, of course, wanted to wear hers ALL DAY.
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