I call them shortcuts, others may view it as sheer laziness. (Why must we judge?)

Not often anymore, but occasionally, one of my children will wet the bed.  The scene usually plays out with a quick change of pj’s and the rest of the night between mom and dad.  Most of the time, I remember (and have time) to strip the bunk bed in question and change the sheets.  However, there are other times that I remember I needed to do this extra chore just as my kids are crawling into bed.

Mommy shortcut #11:  The sleeping bag.
Sheets need changing, but you don’t have the time or energy?  Simply pull up all sheets including quilt or comforter.  Place a sleeping bag on top.  (If you have to-sell them on a camping theme and tell a campfire story or something, but my kids are always jazzed about the sleeping bag.  It’s a win-win.)  You have just bought yourself an extra night.

My oldest received this Timex watch for his birthday last month.  He was so darn excited and doesn’t EVER want to take it off.  He sleeps with it on his wrist and is always requesting to be the family time keeper.  Upon receiving the gift, he also was “gifted” with the responsibility lecture we have all received. (I, shamefully, will add- the one I promised not to give because no one is listening anyway.)
Take care of this watch.  Don’t lose it. Blah, blah…..blah, blah.

He had it exactly one week before it was lost.  Here is the kicker……I lost it!  Before jumping into the pool for swim lessons, I had him take it off.   I slipped it into the outside pocket of my purse.  Where that damn thing ran off to-your guess is as good as mine! It must have fallen out.  We didn’t realize it was missing until bed time.  Fantastic timing! (Form a mental picture of that scene in your mind.)

Trying to turn my total flub into yet another teachable moment, I made the little one trek all over the beach club looking for that watch the next day.  Every lost and found, the lifeguard office, the locker room.  Nada.  I gave up hope and ordered another one on amazon.  Lucky for me it was only 13 bucks.

I later found out that Timex has a replacement policy for kids watches.  Lose it within 1 year of purchase and get a replacement for $10.  Isn’t that big of them?  Pretty certain someone in our family will have to replace the timepiece again by next June.  Let’s just hope it isn’t me!

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does….you better believe I am going to celebrate it!  I am talking about a brilliant move in mothering.

Grocery shopping is my least favorite chore (besides toilets!).  I am at the store a minimum of 3 times a week, but that is only if I am prepared.  I have finicky eaters and I have a gluten-free husband.  We can’t eat on the run easily, so that means I have to go to the local grocer more than I would like.  In the summer, more often than not,  I have to take both of my monkeys.

It usually goes something like this: “Mom, can we get cinnamon rolls?”  “No.”  “Mom, can we get Gatorade?”  “No.”  “Mom, can we get ice cream?”  “NO.”  “Mom, can we get Swedish Fish?”  “NOOOOO!” 

However, the last time we all went to the store my boys each had a list.  On it were 3 items that we needed and a free choice item.  I told them they were in charge of finding the items on their lists and then the could choose ONE item of their choosing.  Our trip went something like this:  “Mom, can we get cinnamon rolls?”  “Do you want that to be your free choice item?”  “Ummmm, no thanks.”  I knew I was on to something by the 3rd time they asked for something and my answer could always be the same. “Would you like that to be your free choice item?”   I was calm, there were no fits (unbelievably!), and everyone got what they needed.

Please note, this is not a usual occurrence for our family….so it is something to write home about.  This is not a spur of the moment activity, so it will take some planning.  But in my opinion, well worth it!

Carefree livin’.  The dog days of summer.  Kick back and relax.  Summer fun.  Yes indeed, all true. There isn’t any other season quite like it and it is my all time favorite.  But ask any mother and it is also physically and emotionally EXHAUSTING!

Although the first day of the season is the Summer Solstice, it officially begins with an 11am dismissal and doesn’t stop until the first day of school. My boys and I hit the ground running on Monday morning..more like sprinting.  I just completed day 2 of our summer and I am ready for a back-up mom to come in for a few rounds. With everyone home all day, the food prep is intensified, the dishwasher runs on overdrive and those little treasured moments I had to myself vanish.   Admittedly,  it does take some time to wrap my head around the reality that I will be playing tour guide, camp counselor, and referee for two insanely active boys.

I will be filling that role for 10 weeks.  Yet, all my other duties remain.  How do I forget from year to year that I will have no time to grocery shop?  No time to do the laundry or return a phone call in peace.  Workouts get moved to 6am and the constant question remains (yet for some reason is insanely more difficult to answer). What is for dinner?!?

I do love (LOVE with a capital L) summer, so ready or not- we are in the thick of it.  I just need to finish my post (which I find I am writing after 9pm every evening) and get ready for tomorrow.  The meals, the snacks, tennis rackets, swim trunks, clean towels.  I really should start a checklist, but that is way to organized for summer.

How are all of you adjusting to our season of fun in the sun?

It is birthday season in my home.  Such a season brings the ever contentious subject of the goodie bag.  If you do not currently have young children, you may not be aware of this sweeping, festering epidemic that has mothers up at all hours of the night.  Stamping, cutting, creating, searching on line for the perfect receptacle and all the goods that go into it!  There are an astonishing 35 pages on Etsy for birthday goodie bags.

How did this madness begin? I cannot be the only one that loathes their existence.  Giving or receiving!  I think most modern day mamas, like myself, take the least expensive route to stuff these damn things.  $1 Store or Oriental Trading Company treasures are go-to items.  Of course, as soon as they are opened-the items break or are forgotten on a playroom floor (perfect land mines for mom to step on with bare feet).  On the flip side, if you don’t use the above mentioned discount suppliers, these parting gifts will set you back a pretty penny.  There in lies the quandary….

I figured it out.  Why not add up the amount you would spend on EVERYTHING you would need to give a goodie bag and add that to what you spend on the party?  The kids still benefit, the cost is the same, and the work is minimal. Isn’t that what we should all aim for?  Less work, more fun.  Who’s on board? (Please say all of you.)