Boredom Busting Summer Activities for families with TWO young kids

The lazy and fun days of summer are already coming to an untimely and unwelcome close here in our household. Rearing it's ugly head is the BORED and IRRITABLE monster's, better known as my kids. As they get older, the arguments and competition get bigger and more unruly, and I am at a complete and utter loss as to how to handle it. Both kids have a weekly commitment (one does dance and one does karate), but it apparently is just not enough for them to keep them occupied and focused enough for the whole week. So I am gathering ideas on what to do to keep them busy and their minds exercised, while we await the start of the Fall 2012 school year in just over 3 weeks. I have scoured the internet for "Boredom-Busting-Brain-Benders" and here is what I found.

1. Find a new playground/park.
2. Go to the beach. (dinnertime is my favorite time to visit the beach. there are less people there, it's not as hot, and bathing suits aren't necessarily required)
3. Visit Storytime at your local library. (call ahead or check their website first, some libraries change their kids activity scheduling in the summer)
4. Go digging for fossils. (find a patch of dirt and have the kids dig for rocks)
5. Bake. (my kids love cooking up something in the kitchen. And if they help cook it, they are more likely to eat it!)
6. Date Night with Mommy/Daddy. (one-on-one time can do wonders for a kids attitude)
7. Clean out the basement. (the kids will find hidden "treasures" and you will get a de-cluttered basement. Be sure to toss/donate everything you don't need. The more you get rid of, the better you'll feel!)
8. Screen time. (I know some mom's aren't a big fan of the TV/Video Games, but if ONE child is occupied with a movie/tv show/video game, you can give the other child special attention to work on a craft or project JUST FOR THEM!)
9. Summer Movie Specials. (Two of our local theaters participate in summer movie deals. Where weekdays (or SOME weekdays) they play a FREE or $1/ticket kids movie at 10am. They also have kids meals for only a few dollars. With the oppressive heat of the Chicagoland area this summer, these have been lifesavers for us!)
10. Ship 'em off to Grandma's. (My 5yo loves special time with his grandparents. It's kind of like Date Night with Mom/Dad, but he usually spends the night and gets all their love and attention for a longer amount of time. My 3yo isn't quite ready for an overnight without Mommy, but when the time comes, she will be spending some nights with her grandparents too.)

How do you beat the summer boredom? Please share!

my own fail whale

I ever wonder if I share too much info with the blogging/twittering world. This last month has been nothing but cruel to us and I can't imagine how all of you on the outside, listening to my daily and hourly complaints about it all must feel. Have I lost followers? Have I allowed my dark and desperate ways to hinder how the blogging world looks at me? The next time I go to an in-person event, will people think I am a whack job?

I wear my heart on my sleeve. I don't hide how I feel or what goes on in my head at any given moment. I am (what I think is) the typical mother, with typical struggles, and typical problems. I have sick kids, a cluttered home,  too many bills, and not enough time in the day.

I try my best and I often fail. I fail my children, I fail my husband, and I fail myself. Those are the only people who matter. If I fail "the world" or "the blogosphere", I could care less. My first job, my most important job, is within the confines of these 4 walls of my home. My job is never complete.

I have found it difficult to find the beauty of my every day, but I try, every single day to improve that. And at that too, I often fail. But I wake up the next morning, determined to try again.

I'm not good enough for myself, and I am constantly comparing what I do and who I am and how I do it all to other mothers, even though we all talk about NOT comparing and NOT judging, I do do it and I know almost all of you do too.

I want to make a difference. I want to be free. I want to breath without collapsing. My shoulders can only hold so much....

real love

Wordless Wednesday ~ "Happy Fall!"

Dinnertime Sun

Saturday around dinnertime, I insisted that the kids, the hubs and i hit the local beach.  And our local beach isn't just any beach, it's Lake Michigan! Lily had actually never been to the beach, adn Jonah probably only once or twice in his whole life. Kinda pathetic, since we live literally 5 minutes from the lakeshore.

I packed up a quick dinner consisting of turkey sandwiches, pretzels, juice boxes, and apples; grabbed a few sandbox toys, and a blanket. We drove the 4.5 minutes to get to the beach, paid our 5 bucks and were heading out the beach when most everyone else was leaving.

We built sand castles

chased seagulls

played in the waves

skipped rocks

posed for photo opp's and pretty pictures

Closet

When I was a kid I used to play in my closet. Sometimes by myself, sometimes with my younger sister.  We would sit among the bazillion stuffed animals and read book and tell stories and giggle.  We played "school" and took funny pictures and made bubbles over the heat vent.  That was a long, long, long time ago and I have since lost most touch with my sister.  As much as she may believe this doesn't bother me, it breaks my heart to pieces. All of these memories are literally captured in my mind, and are distant memories.

So when I get a chance to capture these sort of memories for my little one (and myself of course), i make sure i do, so when they grow up they will always remember the times they laughed and they giggled and they played together ever so sweetly.

I made a bed in the closet where the Jonah insisted on reading "Sister" a book.

Dragging on.....

Last night, about 11:30pm I stumbled in the door after working yet another 13 hour shift. Believe me, it's not my favorite thing to do. Being away from the kiddos for such long work shifts takes a toll on us all. It forces Daddy to double up his parental roles, 2 evenings a week. It takes away from time I could be sleeping (okay, blogging/twittering/internet-ing). But most of all, it takes away from the time I get to spend quality time with these kiddos of mine.

Today, while Daddy works his 6th day of the week, working well over 50+ hours this week, I want to do something special with the kids. Have any ideas?

Oh, the Places We Go.

we play with play-doh

And we of course, eat

we smile a lot

then we eat things we shouldn't

i try to document it all

spend lots of time in the great outdoors

make silly, willy, giggly faces

help one another out

experience some adventure

and discover and explore something new

and that's just all in one day.....imagine what we do when we actually have plans! ;-)

The Extra Step

It's been a long 13 months since Lily was born. We had it rough in the beginning and my adjustment phase of going from a mother of one to a mother of two was a slow process.

i don't accept change easily.

But as long and drawn out as I feel 13 months have been, it really hasn't. It has flown by at warp speed, all a blur and a bit cloudy in my head.

You'd think by now I'd be accustomed to leaving the house by myself with both of them. But let me tell you, it is one tough task to go out in public with these 2 kiddo's.

But I set all of that aside and started new. We spent a few hours of the morning a few days ago at our local zoo.

The "local" zoo is pretty stark. They don't have a whole lot of animals and the exhibits leave much to be desired. But it is the perfect zoo for the trip I was looking for. Not too much ground to cover, the 3 of us got in for $10, parking was free, and it is less than 20 minutes from my house. It wasn't busy AT ALL, so it kinda felt like our own private fun spot. Not only was the trip something for the kids to enjoy and learn from, it was for me to learn from too. I've been wanting to shake this fear I have of being able to handle public places with my kids. And they aren't bad kids, not at all! It's just that I am not physically capable of keeping up with both of them, simultaneously. One runs one way, one runs the other. Jonah's trying to climb the fence and Lily is trying to kiss a goat. Jonah wants to see the Tiger's, Lily wants to eat the dirt. Like really, couldn't they BOTH want to eat the dirt? Now THAT, I could handle. ;-)

BUT.....we did it any way, and this was the end result....

Two super happy kiddos that made for a super happy mom.

So i think in the future, i will push myself a little farther out of my comfort zone. Because it isn't the days we stayed home and avoided that extra step that I will remember, but the days that I took those few extra steps to do something meaningful for my kids, that will always result in something meaningful for me.....for us.

Party on Bill. Party on Ted.

With the kids birthdays just around the corner (both in March), I have started thinking about themes for their parties. Lily will be 1 and Jonah will be 3, so I pretty much still have control over them as of now, so I am wanting to go all out!

For baby girl, I want something girly, but not traditional. I want something unique and fresh and new. Suggestions?

For Jonah, I am pretty lucky because we are having his party somewhere that doesn't require us to purchase themed anything, they provide it ALL! Now, that doesn't mean I won't turn on them, and tell them I want them to use the cups, napkins, and plates I provide. LOL. I am thinking of something to do with music, guitars, and possibly the BEATLES for him!

Do you have any fun and interesting birthday theme ideas for your little ones? I'd love for you to share, or give me and tips or advice for throwing the perfect parties!

A Party for One

I am currently attending a party. A party of one. A pity party.

Bear with me....

I sit amongst piles of laundry that litter my bed. My bed which has not been properly made in weeks. Let's not even talk about how I have no idea when the last time the sheets were changed was. Toys are sprinkled around the room, pieces here and there. Pieces that are bound to be lost very soon. Pieces of toys that were received for Christmas; yes, just a week ago. I am still living out of a toiletry bag that I took on some trip some where to some place I am not sure where it was or when we were there. Our closet is full of things I need to organize, put in their proper places, toss out; yet have not had the time (or energy) to tackle said job.

And that, is only a portion of the trouble found in this house. That my friend, is ONLY my master bedroom.

There are a select few rooms in our house that are in decent shape. Decent meaning, at least 50% of the room is slightly orderly. And those TWO rooms belong to the youngest members of our household, the kiddos.

I have a dining room table covered in MORE things I need to organize, store, toss. My bathrooms leave so very much to be desired.

I will give you a warning now: If you come to my house, PLEASE be sure to make sure there is toiler paper and a hand towel in whatever bathroom you are using BEFORE you use it. One of those two very important items; if not both, are likely to be missing.

Clutter stresses me out (many things stress me out).

And here is where the same dialogue runs through my head over and over and over....

"How do those other mom's do it? I only have 2 kids, but there are mom's out there with way more than that. They see? My laundry neatly folded and hung up the day I retrieve it from the dryer?"

I am in a constant battle with myself, comparing myself, to other women who seem to "have it all together".

WHY CAN'T I HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER??????

I know all these other women are probably struggling like me, but why do I feel so isolated and alone?

Not to mention, aside from the stress of the actual home, I have the added stress of those WITHIN the home. I have a high maintenance 10 month old daughter (yeah, I said it) and a nearly 3 year old toddler who is at the height of terrible two's. I am stressed with the demands of life. Some days I count the seconds until bedtime. But that's not it, there's more (mrs. infomercial here!), I know that once I get the baby to bed, I have to try to get as much done as i can before she wakes up. Once she's awake (which is between 1-2 hours later), she WILL NOT go back to sleep in her crib. I either have to rock her back to sleep, where she will only stay asleep for a very short amount of time, to wake up and need rocking again. Or if I bring her to bed with me, she does sleep much better.

BUT WAIT....yes, there is more....

with the hubby's new job, he gets up extremely early, and since he sleeps with jonah (oh, did i mention that? Uh yeah, if the hubs does not sleep with Jonah, Jonah will wake up many many times in the night, crying for daddy. Hubs ALWAYS cracks and gives in and eventually falls asleep with Jonah) i am left alone, to tend to the baby. And once the hubs leaves Jonah's bed, Jonah will only sleep 10-15 minutes longer. This means Jonah is up at 5am, wakes Lily up and we are all up at 5am.

NO ONE IS GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP! EVEN ME!!!!

i am tired all the time, stressed over everything, the house is mess, i can't even manage to get to the post office to buy a stamp to mail a letter, i try to do everything in my power to NOT have to take the baby anywhere since 75% of the time she is in her car seat, she is screaming. I feel the urge to drink....every. single. day. I want to ram my head into the wall at least once an hour. My kids eat crap because i am too burned out to make a healthy meal. i shower once every 3-4 days. I haven't watched a tv show/movie all the way through for as long as i can remember.

and i actually have fallen asleep TWICE while writing this post.

So here, my question to you dear reader. Where do you stand on these kinds of things? Tell me, please tell me, everyone have corners of clutter, closets you can barely walk into, toilets that haven't been cleaned for weeks (months?).

And times where you are so overwhelmed you need to, want to, HAVE TO cry.

And tell me, it will get easier. I think I need to hear that more than anything.