Where's the Snooze??

"What goes around comes around"... I think that is the saying. Although the term "Its payback time" seems more appropriate. I'm referring to the irony of the fact that while I have been anything but a morning person, my children have turned me into someone who wakes up at 5:50 am, everyday, rain or shine. 5:50am. I can't imagine.

When I was growing up I had an alarm clock. Ragedy Ann and Andy that said "Andy, Andy please get up, its time to call our friends. Ok Ann, I'm awake let's shout it once again. We were set to wake you so here we are to say, please get up and brush your teeth and start your happy day". I remember it vividly as I would let it go off about 10 times each morning before actually getting out of bed. I was always the kid running to the bus stop and the one that would dread having to go back home when I missed the buss to ask my mom to give me a ride. In high school I had accumulated so many tardys once I began driving myself to school that I actually should have been doing detention, but thanks to a slacker teacher who didn't want to bother with it, I would only get a look of disapproval when rolling into the class late...once again.

My first real job at an insurance company started out ok, with an 8:30am start time, I did ok, for the first 6 months, but then 8:30 became 8:40 or 8:45ish. Consistently, my tardiness was brought up at review time. I was a stellar employee in every other way, but that start time - well did it really matter that much? I have been late for pretty much every other job I have ever had as well, always because I just couldn't get out of bed on time. I'm not a late night partier or anything, but I do like my sleep. For this, I have been lectured that being late shows a lack of respect, its not fair to my coworkers, etc. etc. Honestly I never really got it. If I was in a position where I had to open the doors and serve customers for example, I would be on time, but when I was working behind the scenes and my "lateness" didn't affect anyone I couldn't figure out why that was such a big deal. I got my work done, I was prompt for meetings, I could multitask and plow through work better than most so why was this late thing really an issue?

So the ultimate payback. Fast forward to my mid thirties and here we are. I have been waking up for the last 6 years at 6:00 am or earlier every single day. Even on those one or 2 nights when my children were not present, I still got up early. I am actually unable to sleep longer. They have rewired me to be a morning person. A morning person! My former employers would be so proud.

Not to say I am always enjoying the mornings. I still dread hearing those little feet coming across the carpet in the wee hours of the morning. A mom in Kellie's dance class actually summed it up perfectly. She said she intentionally gets up a couple of hours before her kids which makes her kids easier to deal with. (Of course her kids get up at 8.) She said she does it because "you always hate your alarm clock" and she didn't want to be mad at her kids first thing in the morning. I think her observation is brilliant and so true. Many days would have been so much better if only the kids wouldn't have been so persistent in getting me up at 5:50am.

If only they had a snooze button.

I hate bugs

Bugs.
Bugs used to be interesting little creatures that would capture my children's attention and make for very entertaining outings. There was the time my oldest found a caterpillar on a park bench and proceeded to study it for about 45 minutes while I sat and read a magazine. Great day, very peaceful.
Now, they are terrifying creatures. Anything that buzzes must have stinging potential and will send both children screaming into the house. It started about a year ago, when we were living in Utah, where for some reason there were lots of bees. Everytime Kellie saw a "yellow jacket" she would run for cover and then her little sister learned to do the same. I have literally had to peel Megan off of my leg when a fly got in the house. "A fly, a fly, a FLY, Mommy kill it with the smacker!!" So I have to kill it with the smacker or else she won't be able to eat, sleep, live in the house, until the job is done. We have explained that flies really don't do anything, but still, it could she says.
So the other night my husband was reading a book about insects, I believe given to us by a cousin - must be sure to send a thank you note for that one - and it has a lovely description of mosquitoes. Something about how they will attack humans and suck their blood. Ok, I don't think that was the exact wording, but clearly what our 5 year old heard because we have not been able to enjoy any time outside for the last week since learning about these terrifying creatures.
I have tried to tell them its ok. I even shared my stories of my childhood when I would have tons of mosquito bites on my legs and my mom would put pink calamine lotion on the bites. Of course today its not that simple and I'm just waiting for a news story about West Nile or something.
Wish us luck returning to the outdoors with all of the dangerous bugs...

I am a creative genious

Ok not really, but I love that Uppercase Living makes me feel like I am! If you haven't been exposed to the world of Uppercase Living and you have any aspirations to personalize your home I would highly recommend it. A direct sales company featuring designs you put on your walls which includes; inspirational sayings, names, cute pictures, etc; makes it so easy to create a space uniquely yours. "Today you can be anything you IMAGINE" was the phrase I picked out for my 5 year olds room and our entryway now says Wish...Dream...Believe. It looks like someone came in an painted these phrases on the wall professionally. Check them out at www.uppercaseliving.com - a great option for busy moms who want a little something special in their home.

Diet Coke is So Much Fun

I had no idea how much fun diet coke could be until today. Today, when I made an emergency run to the store because I was out and knew I couldn't make it through the day without this crutch. So we went to the store, I pushed the semi=truck of carts, the one with the car attached to the front where the kids could sit and play while I got a serious workout venturing through the store.

I picked up the 12 pack of cans. Normally I go for the bottles, but today it was much cheaper so we got the cans. This was the first of my mistakes. Then, after successfully making it through the self check out, we made it to the car. I loaded in the few items and went to pick up the twelve pack by the punched in handle only to have it rip and go crashing to the parking lot. I think I managed through it with nothing more than a "oh crap" , but I'm sure my kids will let me know if more was said as time goes on. It appeared that although the box was ripped, the cans were still in tact so I reloaded and headed for home.

Upon getting home I pulled out the box, only to find that it was soaked and more than a few cans were fizzing...ready to blow. After one dropped right below our new car, I kicked it out to the driveway sending diet coke and fizz everywhere. The kids were delighted. And then a second one had the same fate, and it too went as far away from the car as possible. While I went running inside to try to get cleaning supplies for the beverage that had spilled all over our, did I mention, brand new car, the kids were kicking the cans all over the driveway. Screaming with great joy as they randomly got sprayed. It was the greatest game ever. Kellie even wanted a few more. "Can we have a couple more cans??"" I hate to think the fate of the surviving cans in the fridge.

Car Shopping with Kids

Have you ever had the joy of car shopping with kids? 2 kids, ages 2 and 5 running around the showroom floor, 2 possible car choices, 5 test drives (car seat moved into each car for each drive) and Kellie the 5 year old exclaiming after each drive "can we get this one? I really like this one" (so much for hard negotiating) later we made our purchase. It wasn't a bad experience really, but when spending that much money I like to have a moment to actually consider the purchase as opposed to having to answer 4000 questions during the purchase. "What is that sound mommy?"...me:"The blinker". "Why does it make that noise?" "Because it does." "What does this button do?" me: "I don't know, but please don't push it!!!" And it went on and on. So needless to say I know nothing about the car we purchased really, but I'm sure my kids will press all the buttons and let me know.

We came home exhausted from trying to control our children and spending too much money and as I collapsed on the sofa, something the finance manager said came back to me. "I just have to say you have really good kids." Really the ultimate compliment during the chaos that is our life, but I though he was just being nice until he shared his experiences with other children who have sat in his office during the car buying experience. One who kept coming over to the keyboard and pressing on the keys while he was trying to work out the deal. The parents apparently just sat there clueless to what a pain their child was being until the finance manager made the comment that "if he keeps pounding on the keyboard it will make their monthly payments go up". Suddenly they became very aware of their child's actions. Brilliant :)