When my boys were really little, it would irritate me to NO END when someone would say,
“Oh, enjoy this time with them.  It is so special.”  It more often then not would come at time when I literally felt like I was losing my mind [and most likely needed a shower.]  Enjoy it, huh?  Treasure it?  Have you been at my house around 5pm?  Living in the moment and enjoying them was the furthest thing from my mind.  Sadly, I felt like I was simply surviving.  My husband and I used to joke, “We’re just making it to bed time.” 

And now I get it.  I get what they were saying.  I feel it everyday.  I feel my boys getting “big”.  Gaining independence.  Forging their own way in this world.  I’m not sad about it.  But now [outside the world of the dirty diapers and the witching hour],  I can recognize that my time with them as young boys is fleeting.  And I am going to do my very best to just enjoy it!

I sure hope your elf is spreading good cheer in your home.  If not, you might consider putting in for a replacement elf.  

PS.  Have you seen this blog post?  Overachieving mommies-be warned!  Someone might be gunning for you in the Starbucks line.  It might be me!

Let me set the stage:
I was picking up my two boys up from school.  It wasn’t raining and they asked to play for a few minutes with their friends.  I readily agreed; it would give me a chance catch up with some girlfriends.  As I was chatting, I caught sight of Little Man.  I knew at once we were in trouble.  He was walking like the tin man [stiff legs and at a slow pace].  He had one hand behind his back holding his bottom.   I watched the scene in slow motion and calmly said, “Hurry, buddy.”  Then he stopped quickly and froze. [Oh. no.]  “It already came out, mommy.”  [Breathe in, breathe out.]

Quickly shifting in to crisis management mode, I gather my oldest and told him we had to go.  “Why?” he asks.  Poop in the pants.  Is that reason enough?  Living less than a mile from school, I just needed to get him home.  However, he refused to walk.  I convinced him to just get into the school bathroom and we could dump the contents of his underwear – so that he could walk to the car and sit down for the ride home. Thank goodness I wasn’t a rookie.  It is a delicate process of getting a soiled pair of undies down cleanly.  Score one for mom. Step 1 complete.  Next, quickly home for clean up and new clothes. 

Once in the car I quickly fire off a text to my dear friend who witnessed it all… 
“Isn’t my life glamorous?”

Her reply: “Poor thing! This is why we drink!”   [I do love my girlfriends.]

Both of my sons are wrapping up their fall sports seasons.  And yes, they will be receiving trophies for simply being on a team.  I am indifferent to the idea of awarding trophies for nothing special.  I am pretty sure if, and when, either of them get a trophy for an actual accomplishment they will understand the difference. 

Actually, we should roll this idea over to parenting.   You wouldn’t actually need maternal skills or exhibit exceptional ability.  No need to go above and beyond-just conception and birth.  Mother of Year!

Who wouldn’t want a little love their lunchbox?

It is easy [takes less than 30 seconds] and the little dose of love goes a long way!

My oldest taped his favorites into the back of his homework journal last year.  [Talk about making my heart melt.]

Here are a few resources so you can find [and give] lunchbox love too:
1.  Tiny Prints.  Personal lunch box notes for your little monsters.
2.  Say Please.  Positive notes and fun trivia.  Space on back to write your own message too!
3.  Good Stuff Products.  Mommy’s Messages.  You can choose from tongue twisters, jokes, and love notes.  My kids love the jokes!

With September over, most kids [and moms] have settled into the school routine.  Ask my oldest how school is going and his response would be great.  Not so much with my little man.   Each morning he asks, “Is today a school day?”  I grimace these days when I have to answer yes. His one liners about kindergarten are hilarious.

“Did you know it is 6 hours long?”
“I had to do not 20 or 30, but 40 papers.”
“Choice time is the only part I like.”

My former mommy-self would not have been calm about this.  I would have worried and fretted and worried some more.  This time around it is different.  [Don’t get me wrong.  I want my youngest to thrive, love school, and to go with the flow a bit more.]  I have learned that I have no control over how my kids feel, so I just have to honor it.  My 5 year old works hard all day long on reading, writing, sharing, math, listening, sitting……  So I have been trying to fill his afternoon with a little bit of “kid” joy!  I shoot hoops with him after school.  We made play dough together on the stove and I watched him play with it for hours.  We put up Halloween decorations.   I gave him an awesome storage container specially made for his LEGO mini-figures. And lots and lots of hugs.

….but the best, according to little man, comes on Fridays.  A bowl of ice cream with multiple toppings.  As many as he would like.

I swear everyday my precious children can’t find something. Usually it is their most prized possession [what ever it happens to be that day] and for some unknown reason they don’t know where it is.  How can something be so special to you AND be missing? When I saw this quote I had to nod my head in agreement.  My boys can hold back the tears until after I have looked for them and STILL it is no where to be found.  I am sure there is a parenting technique that insists that the child should be the one who looks for the lost item.  Honestly, I don’t have time for their lollygagging.  Just add it to the job description for mothers everywhere.  VP of Search and Rescue.

• Uno cards
• the Magic 8 ball
• a nerf football
• a book to doodle in
• a non-fiction book [Just the facts, man.]
• a disposable camera
• whoopie cushions [enough for every boy in his cabin.  I love this!!]  
• ring pops [plenty to share.  and YES I broke the “don’t send food ” rule.]
• a white pillow cases, with colored sharpies, for his cabin mates to sign

If you have a camper this summer, you understand the importance of the care package. After a google search, I found there are companies that will do it for you.  [Of course there are.] And they have some great items- specially geared for camp -that stores don’t carry.  Next year I will pick a few items from these sites to include in my package! 

My favorite item that was on multiple sites:

A few online companies for care packages:
Sealed with a Kiss
Beyond Bookmarks
The Wrinkled Egg
Just for Camp