A Morning at Safeway

So, I was pulling up to Safeway this morning with the girls; up to that point we were doing pretty darn good. We had gotten ready and out the door with very few melt-downs or set-backs and to add to the goodness it was a beautiful day.

When we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car I made my first mistake of my shopping experience. You know those grocery carts that have little cars on the front that you can put the kids into so that they can play and "drive" the cart while you are shopping? Well, there was one deceitfully parked in front of my car leaving me to think, "Hmm, how nice, this will keep Kenzie entertained while I shop!" WRONG! The cart was top heavy when the cart had no groceries in it and slowly became back heavy as I filled my cart. I was fish tailing in every direction and the pinnacle of my cart pushing experience came when I attempted to turn the cart around in a ridiculously small aisle (only found in a San Francisco Safeway) and I knocked a jar of pickles off the shelf. That pickle jar shattered and the pickle juices flooded the aisle giving the already tiny aisle less room to maneuver in. While I attempted to round up a worker my girls were screaming out me to "come back mommy" (even though I was within eye sight the entire time). Yeah, that was embarrassing . . . To top it off, the comments that the cart generated were only adding insult to injury. I got a few "Wow, you've got your hands full," a "Heavy load coming through," and the ever encouraging, "Good luck!"

So, the highlight of the trip came at the end when Jordyn had gotten a hold of the condoms in our cart without my noticing and was chewing on the box. We passed this dude who not only took the time to notice, but also the time to open his mouth and make the following comment, "Hmm, there's something ironic about a baby chewing on a box of condoms."

Luckily I had a good nights sleep and I was a well rested mommy this morning - so I really found the entire experience quite amusing. :)

So lets hear it mommies, what outrageous things have strangers said to you in regards to your children?

Thank-you Sister Beck

" A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all the people or do all of the things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important."

Sister July B. Beck

Relief Society General President of the Church of Jesus-Christ of

Latter-Day Saints.

As I sat down to plan for the week today I rapidly found myself advancing towards a good panic attack as I stared at my completed to-do list. My mind came back to these words from Sister Beck in the most recent general conference and I quickly calmed down as I recognized that this is the righteous lot of all women. We all have much to - we must therefore be careful about what we do do.

The "to-do" list can become an obsession if I let it. Everything on that list is important. But studying the scriptures, having family prayer, sitting down and reading a book with the girls, have a little wrestling match for no good reason, and saying a prayer to calm myself in a flustered moment - these things are not on the to-do list; yet, they are among the most important tasks of any day.

Thank-you Sister Beck for helping me to remember that if nothing gets crossed off that list tomorrow because calming down a one-year-old teether and making meals for a hungry family consumed the majority of the day - then I have actually had a VERY successful day after all.

Top Five Fridays - Young Mother

So living in the Marina district of San Francisco with two young children makes me someone of a stranger in the mommy world (at least to THIS mommy world). Why do you ask? Because I am 24 and not 44. Often when I meet another mommy at the park in the Marina their first assumption is that I am the nanny and when they find out I am NOT the nanny, their second assumption is that I had kids out of wedlock. So, for this top-five-friday I wish to state my top five reasons for choosing to be a mother at a young age. I do wish to state that I do not think there is a right or a wrong age for being a mother, its a personal choice that we all make; these are simply my reasons.

1. I won't have dentures at my youngest' high school graduation.

2. The earlier you have them, the earlier they are raised, which means some serious head-start time on the retirement/travel years.

3. My body is in much better shape for the crazy strain of childbearing, rearing, and all the other "ings" that come with this mommy business.

4. I will hopefully get to be a grandma that is still young enough to play ring-around-the rosies with the grand-babies.

5. Finally - it just felt right. The timing just felt good for Garrett and I. We knew we were ready to add to our family so we did!

There you have it. Most mommies here in the Marina are still flabbergasted at my decision to be a mommy before being an established career lady, but hey, what can I say?

The Nice Voice

A few weeks back I was getting ready for the day in my bedroom while Kenzie and Jordyn were entertaining themselves in the nursery. They seemed to be playing well together and then I heard the following:

The sounds of a shuffle/yanking match over a toy of interest.

Kenzie: NO! Jordyn!

Me: (from the other room) Kenzie, Jordyn is still learning how to share, can you use your nice voice to help her understand?

Kenzie: (in the sweetest little voice you've ever heard) Jordyn, please go away.

Sharing

Hey moms. I am currently really trying to be proactive about promoting sibling happiness rather than sibling rivalry in our house. I really want my girls to be good friends and I have been reading different articles and ideas about how to be successful. I came across a topic today that I have mixes feelings about and I was looking for some feedback from all you mommies out there on the topic.

Here is the bit that I read that I am thinking about:

Your child does not have to share clothes, toys, or other things with their friends outside of the home, so be sure that you give your children their own things. They may have to share a room, but that does not mean they should share everything in it. This is important. It is okay for children to share somethings, that is part of life as a family. However, many problems that get in the way of friendship between siblings are because of having to share too many things. So, get them their own gifts at Christmas, get them their own clothes, if they have to share some toys, that is fine, as long as each of them have a few things to call their own.

I tend to expect Kenzie to share EVERYTHING with her sister. Her toys are also Jordyn's toys. Kenzie does like to show ownership of a few special things such as birthday presents or certain little trinkets like some bracelets and purses or a certain doll that she is obsessed with. Whenever Jordyn comes in contact with these items I encourage Kenzie to let Jordyn have a turn until she looses interest and then go and get her toy. This often leads to total meltdown and even a push or grab at her sister, which is totally not okay with me.

So, just curious, do your kids have certain toys that are their own, or is everyone encouraged to share everything?

Top Five Fridays - Motherhood Quotes

Today I am just keeping it simple. Here are five quotes that can make you laugh, think about, and treasure up motherhood . . .

1. "There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part-or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." M. Russell Ballard

2. "Cleaning up with children around is like shoveling during a blizzard." Author Unknown

3. "The phrase 'working mother' is redundant." Jane Sellman

4. "One of the greatest needs in the world today is intelligent, conscientious motherhood. … Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother’s image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child’s mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness the first assurance that there is love in the world. The noblest calling in the world is motherhood. True motherhood is the most beautiful of all arts, the greatest of all professions. She who can paint a masterpiece, or who can write a book that will influence millions, deserves the admiration and plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose immortal souls will exert an influence throughout the ages long after paintings shall have faded, and books and statues shall have decayed or have been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God." David O. McKay

5. An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. ~Spanish Proverb

So don't forget mommies - what we do each day is amazing, wonderful, and more meaningful than anything that we will ever do. Have a good one. ;)

Top Five Fridays - The Joy of One

Is anyone else a little bit floored that my baby is already one? It seems like only one year ago that I was desperate enough to try out some castor oil, which led to me coming a little bit too close to having a baby in the hospital parking lot . . .

I want to dedicate this post to five things that makes having a one-year-old a wonderful thing.

1. She is not too old to still cuddle with her mommy. Often throughout the day she'll just speed crawl to me and cuddle her little head into my belly or shoulder. I love it! Before every nap she likes to cuddle on my shoulder and pull at my hair a little bit, and only then is she good to go down. Lately when I get this bit of cuddle I can't help but think that any day now she'll become too interested in the world around her to cuddle with her mommy.

2. She is somewhere between a baby and a toddler, so I feel like I am getting the best of both worlds. She still has plenty of baby fat to squeeze and kiss, yet she is totally intrigued by the world around her - just as a toddler should be.

3. She is an observer. She will watch Kenzie carefully as Kenzie puts on bracelets and a purse, and then as quickly as Kenzie puts her stuff down Jordyn jets over to try on the bracelets and does her best to try and pull the purse over her head. I love watching her because she isn't quite super coordinated yet, so it makes for a very entertaining process to watch. As soon as she accomplishes her feat, she looks up with a smile ready to have her accomplishment celebrated.

4. She is sturdy enough to really play with now. As soon as I am down on the floor and wrestling with Kenzie or chasing Kenzie around the house, Jordyn is right there to be apart of the action too. Her favorite thing to do is head-butt your closest body part and laugh a hilariously deep belly laugh.

5. Finally, I love to watch her little personality really establish itself. Jordyn has shown that she is a determined little lady. She does not stop trying until she gets it. She'll get a little bit frustrated, but she doesn't stop. The kid also loves people. She can be sick and yucky feeling and as fussy as can be - give her a room full of people to watch and she is chill and content.

So there you go, five of the many reasons that I love having a one-year-old in my little house.