As of today (7/25)...

I will not longer be updating this blog, please visit me at:

http://jms124.blogspot.com/

Thank you!

Father's Day

Father's Day is this weekend. How do you celebrate?

My dad and step-dad get phone calls. However, if Dad is at the shore house this year he will be eating really great food. I have turkey burgers planned for supper on Saturday and a big breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes, bacon and toast for Sunday morning.

For a few years, the kids and I took Hubby to Philly to go to Wizard World, but after the third time, I told him we needed to find something else to do.

This year, we are going to the beach. Hubby and I are HUGE beach bums and luckily the kids are too.

I'll let you all know how the weekend goes!

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's, step-dad's, and grandfathers out there!!!

Broken nose, again

Both of the kids have managed to break my nose over the last year.

The first time happened when Bubba and I were watching TV in our king-size waterbed. I didn't have my glasses on...and I have very little depth perception without them...and we rolled toward each other.

He caught me on the side of my nose. I bled for a bit and really hurt for a few weeks, but my nose was just slightly off so there was no need to get it fixed.

I was so worried that when Hubby called the doctor about it there would be a domestic violence officer over at the house.

Thankfully, this doctor is not only my doctor, but also Hubby's, Bubba's and Diva's so he knows Hubby isn't violent and the kids can be rowdy.

Then, a few weeks ago, I'm sitting on the grass playing with Diva and WHAM she runs head first into my face. CRUNCH goes my nose!

I bled and had a slight black eye, but that was it. It still hurts but I think that has more to do with the fact that my glasses sit right on what I believe is the break (thanks to the lump I can feel).

I have found that I can't sew a straight line yet, but hopefully in a few days I'll be able to :*) (That's the broken nose smiley face, my sister said I needed a new one until it heals)

Free Range Kids

I remember hearing about Lenore Skenzy on the news one morning. She's the woman who let her 9 year old son find his way home, alone, with no cell phone and no one following him...in Manhattan! (insert big gasp here) She was dubbed “America's Worst Mom”.

You know what I call her? Normal.

Really, “America's Worst Mom”?!?!? I love this woman. I mean, I didn't really know that there was a term for how Hubby and I were raising our kids. We were just parenting the way our parents did.

Bubba is only 4 and Diva is 2, but we still try to give them freedom. We don't follow them around when they are at the park. We encourage them to talk to the other kids and invite them to play. We (gasp) encourage them to talk to people...strangers!

For example, one nice spring day the 3 of us walked up to the store that is only a few blocks away. As we were leaving we almost bumped into an older man (I have a huge double stroller, it drives like a boat). I apologized and he and I started chatting. We wound up walking and talking together for most of our walk home. I encouraged the kids to join in the conversation.

This nice man and I parted ways only a block from our house, but I hope the lesson will stick with my kids. I mean, the more people you know, the less strangers there are, right?

You know what else?

We let the kids drink from the hose today. We also let them play in the dirt and get each other wet with the same hose they were drinking out of. Oh, and we did this in the front yard.

I remember doing that as a kid. While watching Hubby and the kids play in the front yard today, I wasn't worrying about who might be waiting to take my kids...I was committing the evening to memory, hoping the kids were doing the same.

Lenore, I love your blog (found at http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/) and I love your views. If you are ever in my area, I want to shake your hand.

Mommy, Can You Just Shoot It?

Bubba comes out of the kitchen saying "Mommy, there is a bee buzzing in your kitchen"

I said "no, that's a fly". I know this because it was out in the living room bothering me earlier.

Bubba: "Think you can just shoot it?"

Me (laughing): "no, I can't shoot it."

Bubba: "shoot bee, shoot bee" This is where I figured out he meant 'shoo' and not 'shoot'.

Next thing I know, he's running out into the kitchen yelling at the bee "shoot you bee! My mommy gonna shoot you!"

Yeah, he's too funny.

Ever try to re-invent who you are?

I have an itch that I need to scratch, but I can't. It's not a physical thing, otherwise I'd go get the anti-itch cream :0)

I'm getting bored with who I am. I have a great husband and 2 great kids. My husband works hard to provide for our family, especially now that I'm out of work. He supports my desire to turn my sewing and crocheting hobby into a business, too. But I'm still bored.

I feel like I need a change of scenery, I'm restless.

I have plans to grow a large garden with my kids, we will be planting in the next 2 weeks. I'll have that to tend to everyday. Once the produce is ready, the kids and I (ok, well mostly me) will can and pickle them...bake things with them and then freeze them. But I still feel like I'm missing something.

My sisters call to me as “the good one”. Maybe that has something to do with why I became a paralegal? But sometimes I'm too ethical (or good) for my own good!

I can't even do simple things like leave the shopping cart in the next spot if it's too far to lug the kids back to the cart bin. Yup, I will unload the cart, walk the cart and 2 small kids to return the cart, then lug the kids back to the car.

I don't want to be know as the person to go to if you need a contract written.

I don't want to be know as the person to go to if you need something baked or cooked.

I'm so sick of being stuck in this too small house...I'm sick of being out of work...I'm sick of my back hurting all the time.

I want to move somewhere warm...somewhere that it doesn't snow (yeah, almost 4 feet of snow this year, normal snow fall amount? Less than 6 inches)

I want something different...but I'm not sure what that is.

Heat Wave!!!!!

For the third day in a row it is in the 80's here.  It got so hot so fast that I spent Tuesday and Wednesday fighting a migraine brought on by the heat!!!

I refuse to put the air conditioner on in April but man, I got close yesterday!  Bubba and Diva kept laughing at me because I had a bag of frozen veggies on my head to try to ease the pain :0)

We are supposed to have some storms come through later today and they are supposed to cool us down about 20 degrees...I just wish they'd get here!!

Guess I'll just be a bad mom...

I thought that now that my kids were off formula I'd have left this part of me behind.  Nope.

I had my heart set on breastfeeding.  When Bubba was born they showed me how to use a breast pump so I could store milk for him to have when he started on milk (in case you don't know, many preemies aren't started on milk right away, they are given something called TPN and Lipids...lots of fat and other things they need to grow).

I was getting maybe an ounce a day.  Do you know how bad I felt watching other mom's bring in gallon bags full of breast milk storage bags?  I was drinking so much water that my urine was almost clear...I was taking the meds, drinking the teas and taking the herbs.  I was working close with a lactation consultant.  Nothing was helping.

Once Bubba was old enough to nurse (around 3 weeks after his birth) I was able to nurse him...but he wasn't gaining any weight.  I wasn't producing milk.
My boobs never felt full, never grew, nothing.  I broke down in the hallway of the hospital the day I found out I wasn't making enough milk for him and they had to give him formula.  I was devastated.

Hubby asked me if it was more important that he nurse and get very little to nothing or if he get the formula so he can grow and come home.  The choice was easy after that.  

I kept trying to get some kind of supply, but after weeks of stressing out over it...and my c/s scar not healing and loosing weight...the lactation consultant was the one who suggested I stop trying.
 
Guess what?  I was much happier after that.

Diva?  Well, she wouldn't latch.  I tried for weeks, pumping during this time too...and nothing.  I contacted the La Lache League  and the Lactation Consultant at the hospital, no luck.  Finally, at about 6 weeks or so, I just gave up.  I was getting nothing when I pumped this time around and my boobs didn't feel any different then they normally do.
I don't make milk and to some, that makes me a bad mom. 

You know, it took me joining a site that is supposed to help mothers find support for me to realize that I'm a bad mom.

I mean not only did I formula feed my kids, but I circumcised my son...and both were born via c-section...and my kids have all their vaccines...and my oldest went to day care...and the only reason the youngest didn't was for health reasons...I'm a working mom, hell, I own my own business!  

Yet I have 2 happy, healthy and smart kids...all because I'm a bad mom :0)

Craigslist.org

I love this site.  I first started using it about 4 years ago, when my step-mom sent me a job listing.  That job turned out to be my favorite job ever and I was very sad to have to quit when we moved out of state.

I have used it to sell some  jeans that don't fit because I've lost weight...I have bought a doll house (at $5) and a Disney Princess Vanity (for only $10!) for Chloe.  I even picked up a Little Touch Leap Pad complete with a few books and a carrying case this morning for FREE!  One Christmas present that we don't have to "pay Santa" for.

I currently have a few postings of things for sale up there now.

The scammers can be really bad on there, but if you use common sense (deal locally, don't ship anything, accept only cash for payments, etc) you will avoid 95% of the problems.

I truly love this site and encourage everyone to check it out.

Spring has Sprung!

The weather here in South Jersey is wonderful!  It's warm and sunny...and everyone seems to be in a good mood.

It is so nice today that I didn't put tights on Diva....and neither on of them has worn jackets today or yesterday.

I was waiting for the "you need to put some tights on that girl" comment today because I had the greatest comeback!  My response was going to be "when you start paying me child support you can have a say in how I dress my kids."

On the down side, Bubba has been so difficult the past week or so.  He doesn't want to do anything but lay on the floor and either watch TV (and of course he only wants to watch a show that's not on and isn't on On Demand) or play with his toys.  He didn't want to go shopping this morning so he threw a fit about that...he wouldn't behave in the store...he whined in the car.  OMG, he's turning into a teenage girl! :0)

I am hoping he is just coming out of the winter funck and a few more days of nice weather will get him back to my happy, laid back Bubba.

Please keep your clothes on

My 2 little streaker refuse to keep clothing on today. 

Actually, since it's warmed up a bit a few days ago they have been stripping every chance they get!

Diva won't even keep her diaper on.

I give up, run around naked.  My house sits at least 6 feet above street level so no one can see in.

I just wish Bubba would stop bending over to "moon" me and saying "naked kid!!!".

Potty Training

They say that boys are so much harder than girls to potty train.  I think "they" may be on to something.  Bubba will be 4 next month and is just now day-time trained.

We started training him a year ago.  He was doing great and our baby sitter had worked really hard with him.  By August of last year, we were even going out of the house with underpants on (and no accidents).  We were so happy.  Then I started staying home with the kids again and it all went to hell.

We tried everything...rewards, stickers, candy...but nothing was helping.  One day last month, I was looking on the internet for advice on training kids who are being stubborn.  I found two things that we had not tried yet. 

1.)  Take something away that they like and tell them that only people who don't pee/poop in their pants can use that (like computer/TV time...DVD's...those kind of things)

2.)  Tell them that they are in charge of their pee and poop and only they can tell it when to come out.

I decided to try the 2nd one...and it freaking worked!

I took him aside and said "Bubba, I love you very much and I really want you to be out of diapers...but that decision is up to you.  You are the only one who can tell your pee-pee and poops when to come out...you are in charge of them, oyou are their boss.  Mommy and Daddy aren't going to tell you when to get on the potty.  You tell us if you need help with the potty." 

That's the last day I had to set the timer.  That's the last day I washed 10-15 pairs of underpants.  That's the last day I had to get the carpet shampooer out every few hours. 

It worked.  It really freaking worked!  By the next day, he was taking himself to the potty.  We still have a few accidents every week, but he is wearing underpants all day and keeping them dry.  He takes himself to the potty!  He tells me after he goes so I can empty it but that's about it.

And because he is going on the potty, Diva goes in there too.  She's in panties most of the day and is doing good as well.

Because she is doing so well, we have decided that the box of 82 diapers we bought over the weekend will be the last box of diaper we buy for her (we only buy pull-ups for Bubba), we will only be buying her pull-ups for at night and while we are out of the house.

I'm hoping that Bubba will be totally day and night trained by the end of the summer...Diva, I'm shooting for this time next year.

Boys get obsessed with their dinky at an early age!

Tonight, 4 year old Bubba comes out of the bathroom totally naked.  It was time to put a Pull-Up on for overnight.  I was working on some sewing and had some things out...including my measuring tape.

He grabs the measuring tape and says "Mommy, measure my dinky!" 

Mind you, Hubby and I were really trying not to laugh at this!

I told him I wasn't going to measure his dinky and he should put his Pull-Up on.

He takes the measuring tape and holds it up to his stomach saying "One, two...my dinky is two inches......one, two, three, my dinky is one two three inches!"

By this time, Hubby and I are full out laughing.  Bubba is just so funny!

He's only 4 and already concerned with how big it is...it must be something they are born with!

I love to sew, it keeps me sane :0)

I got my first sewing machine at 13.  I made all my formal dresses throughout high school.  About 2 years ago, my first sewing machine started to die on me.  As my ability to sew went down, my stress level went up.

For my birthday this year, I got a new sewing machine and I am a happy woman again.  I can spend hours in the fabric store just looking around an planning projects.  I love making clothes for my kids.

The latest project?  Smocks.  The kids can still be messy eaters and according to my 4 year old "I am a big boy, only babies wear bibs"...what he does, his sister follows, so no bibs.  Smocks, however, are cool and they will wear them. 

The first picture is the back of my son's smock and the 2nd picture is the front.  The 3rd picture is the back of my daughter's smock and the last picture is the front.

My First Post!!!!

Hello Internet!!!

My name is Jen.  I am a wife and mother of 2 kids who I will call Bubba and Diva.  Those are their nicknames and what they call each other, it's really cute.  I am college educated, but my spelling can still suck.  I am now a stay-at-home mom after being laid off and unable to find work again.  I have a love/hate relationship with staying home. :0)

I like to cook and bake (and I'm really good at it!).  I also like to sew (again, I'm really good at it!).  I will be sharing some of the things I make.  I like to read when I have the time.

We like to vacation at the beach and in the mountains.  

That's all for my first post, thank you for reading!

~Jen