DC Metro Mom

For several weeks I have been hounding my kids about how messy the playroom was. I don't even mean messy - I mean catastrophic. This room looked like it had been vandalized. Seriously. The playroom is 80% of our basement. It has lots of storage and room to play. Basically it looked like the kids had taken every basket, box, container and dumped them all on the floor.

Finally last weekend (while DH was off working) K and I went down there during naptime for Big Man and B and decided to clean. I'd been at it about 5 minutes when I just felt rage. I was so angry at how messy this was and what a waste of my time it was cleaning it over and over only for it to get to this point again. I told K mommy needed to take a time out because I was getting very angry about how dirty the room was. I went up to the kitchen and read my book for 5 minutes. Then I went back down. But quickly felt the same intense anger. I turned and told K that I couldn't do this. I went upstairs and woke up B. Then I told them they had 5 minutes to clean up whatever they most liked, and then I was coming down with trash bags and would throw out everything else on the floor.

I think they thought I was nuts, and they certainly didn't imagine me actually doing it. But man, was I upset. So after about 4 minutes I grabbed 3 trash bags and went charging down there. And I just started scooping. I tried to protect Big Man a bit (since he wasn't there), but I just started grabbing stuff and putting it in trash bags. When I had filled two (and B was in tears), I told them they had a brief reprieve while I took these bags out to the trash.

(sidebar - I would love to say I recycled all the toys - gave them to Goodwill or something, but I didn't. I was so annoyed I could not think of sorting and organizing - I just threw them all away.)

After a few minutes I came back down and did two more large trash bags. Out to the trash they went. It made me feel so much better. Then I sat down and cleaned up the rest with the girls. And now - the playroom has been very clean for a week. When they play down there, I hear them talking about making sure it is cleaned up.

DH and I are really good about being consistent - if we say something (or threaten something) regardless of what ridiculous thing has come out of our mouth - we stick with it. But I really don't think the kids thought I would actually do this. And man it felt good.

We'll see how long it lasts. As soon as it gets out of line, I am fully prepared for rampage of the crazy mommy again.

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

My kids LOVE reading. Well, they love listening. K loves reading. They all love listening. So after the big book sort last week I am happy to report we have been reading some new books. And of course the big book dump (we donated MULTIPLE big bags of books away) has not stopped Mama's habit of buying books. In fact, within 24 hours we had several new kids books in the house (hee hee). One of them was an INSTANT favorite. It is the new Piggie and Gerald book called "Watch Me Throw the Ball". If you are not familiar with Piggie and Gerald you are MISSING OUT! They are the newest creations from Mo Willems, an amazing kids book author who has also written "Knuffle Bunny" and "Leonardo, the Terrible Monster" and of course, the Pigeon of "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" etal. Mo used to be an illustrator on Sesame Street and totally knows his stuff. Watch Me Throw the Ball is hysterical. The kids were literally rolling on the floor. I highly recommend it.

Other favorites of my kids - Skippy John Jones, Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, and of course, Junie B Jones and the Magic Treehouse.

What books do your kids like? (we could always use some more!)

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So I am working with the kids to try and make their presents to family, friends, teachers, etc. So far we have made:

1) String Bowls. These are cool. You take colored yarn and drench it in white glue. It takes a LOT of glue. Then you blow up some balloons and attach them to a paper cup or bowl to stabilize them. Then you drape the strands of yarn all around the top half of the balloon. After it dried, we also painted more glue on so it was crunchy (I have also heard you can use fabric stiffener). When all that is dry you pop the balloon (which does this cool crunchy deflating thing), and detach it from the bowl. Waaalaa. Very cool. We are going to make more of these.

2) Felt Animal Pens. I saw these here. Basically they are just ballpoint pens dressed up to look like animals. We made a dozen or so over Thanksgiving.

We also plan to make:

1) homemade melted crayons - I have been collecting old crayons to make a bunch of these babies.

2) Rollo Turtles - These are soooo awesome. Seriously. Oh my GOSH they are so good.

Any other cheap and easy ideas?

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So my son, age 2, has a SERIOUS Oedipus complex. According to Wikipedia (that font of all knowledge ;) ) this is supposed to peak between ages 3-5. If Daddy so dares to hug me or God forbid kiss me in front of Big Man, all heck breaks lose. He will start yelling "No Daddy!" "MY MOMMY" over and over and over. Even if we are in the car in the front seat and Big Man sees DH lean over and hold my hand - he goes crazy. I think it is cute and funny. DH - not so much. If we aren't even at the peak yet, this is going to be a long phase. Anyone else had this? Any suggestions on how to deal with it?

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So this weekend was pretty nuts. Fun - but exhausting! Twice a year I participate in this big consignment sale, where I buy the vast majority of the kids clothes, and sell some old ones too. It was Friday night. DH was away this weekend, so I left work at 4pm, picked up all three kids and got home in time to meet the babysitter. Then my friend Holly and I drove out to the sale. We got there right at 6pm when it opened - and almost were able to skip the massive line. We were there for about 3 hours - which I know seems crazy - but there is all kinds of stuff, and you need to pick it out and sort through it then stand in the line from hell to checkout. It was great though - I got TONS of leggings for K (as requested), a few things for B, and LOTS of adorable Elmo stuff for Big Man. I also got dress up clothes for all three for a wedding we are going to in 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, my BF from college drove down from PA with her 2 kids and relieved my babysitter about 8:30pm. I got home and crashed! The next morning we all got up and went to the Fairfax City Festival. It was really pretty great. For $5 each the kids had free run of all the rides. They really enjoyed it. And my favorite 80s cover band was the lunchtime entertainment - even better! We met various friends there over the course of the day (we were there from 11am - 4:30pm!) and finally headed home.

At 6pm, said friends came over and we had dinner for 12 kids and 8 adults. One friend provided spaghetti and meatballs (already cooked!) and dessert for the kids. I made a quick chicken and pasta dish for adults.

I have been a bad blogger. This week has been crazy at work - and I have 3 trips in the next 7 days. I don't usually travel - but I have been doing a lot in the last few weeks. All is going good. I am LOVING my diet. I am down 28 lbs since July. 28 lbs!!!!! Woo hoo! And I don't feel all hungry or denied. I am also more committed to exercise - both running and that killer b$(*$ Jillian's 30-day shred video.

Was in Orlando this week for work and picked up some Disney Dollars to give the girls when we tell them about the trip. We plan to tell them around the 8th of October. (I am making a countdown calendar to help them see how far away it is.)

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

One of my greatest joys of being a parent is seeing how my kids treat each other. Now, my kids are little, and I know the sibling wars are coming, but for now, it is so cute.

Big Man LOVES his big sisters - especially K. K can do no wrong in his eyes. And she knows it and loves it. She is the first to run and get him his blanky if he is getting upset. If he is crying she will go pick him up. They are sooo cute together.

B worships K as well. She is always wanting to do and say exactly what K is doing/saying. If K is wearing a dress, B wants to wear a dress. If K is jumping, B will jump. And K does a pretty good job of putting up with it. They share a room - and often a bed. I love when I come up to check on them and they are like puppies sleeping - all piled on top of each other - legs and arms all around. It is so cute.

K is really a great big sister. She is amazing with Big Man and puts up with B's following her every step. Not always - apparently yesterday morning she told B she hated her (which lead to a discussion about the use of the word hate), but usually she puts up with it and tries to help B when she is doing things beyond her skills.

It is really just great to watch.

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

I am officially one of those moms. I have totally over scheduled my poor 6 year old. She has soccer (one practice a week, one game on the weekend), ballet (once a week), and swimming (once a week). So now on, she goes to school. At 6 (or hopefully a bit before) I pick her up at extended day, have her put on her shin guards and socks, and walk out to the soccer field. At 6:45 (15 minutes early) we get up and walk back to our house (thank GOD our house, the school, and the field are so close!). When we get there, B is waiting in her bathing suit, with a grilled cheese sandwich in her hand for K. We all climb in the car and drive like crazy to swimming across town. On the way K eats her "dinner". We run in, and both girls do swimming. Not sure when K puts her bathing suit on. Last night we managed it after Extended Day (under the soccer clothes). Too crazy.

Sadly, Saturdays may be the same way with Ballet 20 miles away, and Soccer games moving around in terms of time.

Meanwhile B only has swimming, and Big Man gets nothing.

Ah well....the joys of parenting!

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So, given that I was just in Paris (have I mentioned that, hee hee), I have been reading a bunch of books that take place in Paris or have something to do with it. Before our recent family trip, I ran to our public library to grab a few books. In the "featured book" section I found a book called Sarah's Key. It was such a great read. It is a book about the French treatment of Jews in WW II. It was really fascinating, and took place in the neighborhood we stayed in - le Marais. I highly recommend it. I read it in one day - a day where I spent 10 hours in an amusement park with my kids. Probably got through the whole thing in 2 hours. I couldn't put it down. A bit sappy, perhaps, but I loved it.


frustratingly - it appears the author is French, and all her other books are yet to be translated....

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So after our first week of teaching the kids how to eat like people (where every single night was a screaming, hysterical, sobbing mess), the kids got a break because we went on vacation. I wasn't going to make them actually order stuff they won't eat from a menu.

But tonight we were back at it. Actually last night, but that was just pasta, bread, and applesauce - and they eat that all the time. Tonight was steak sandwiches, hash browns, and broccoli. And -- AMAZINGLY -- there was no crying. There was even a bit of enthusiasm. What a miracle!!! They didn't happily eat it - but they did eat it - most of it. It was awesome. And like I said, NO FUSSING. I'm sure it is a temporary bloop, but I will take it!!

Tomorrow is salmon - something neither my husband or I eat. I am the worst New Englander ever - I don't like snow - I don't ski - and I don't eat fish. My Dad, when he was growing up, his mother served dry fish sticks EVERY single Friday. So when he got married, my Dad told my mother he would not eat fish - ever. My mom loved fish, and used to get it at restaurants, but we never had it at home. So I never got a taste for it. But it is so good for you, so I want to try and like it.

So, tomorrow night lets hope there are not 5 sobbing, hysterical people at my dinner table! Wednesday night is terryaki chicken.

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

K is a horrible eater. Has been since she was a toddler. Now, at 6, she eats NO vegetables, and NO fruits. Seriously. She eats baby food banana/mixed berries and she eats applesauce, but that is it. She also eats no meats. Chicken nuggets only. No hamburger, no hot dogs, no grilled chicken or chicken in any form other than nugget, no red meat, no pork, no turkey or other poultry. She is pretty much surviving on dairy (yogurt, cheese) and grains (bread, bagels, cereal, pasta). She will eat peanuts and cashews to help with protein and she likes quiche (with cheese only, of course).

B, at 4, is a much better eater. She loves all fruits, many veggies, but is also bad on proteins. She will eat chicken nuggets and grilled chicken pieces - but that is about it. She also like nuts, but does no like eggs. Worse, K has started to wear off on her and she is getting picky.

Big Man eats everything and lots of it (he moved up to the 20% at his 2-year checkup - yay!).

This is something I have wanted to work on for a while, but just haven't had the will. A few weeks ago, the straw broke the camels back. I had taken the girls berry picking and we made a beautiful strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry pie. It smelled soooo good. B eats all these berries and LOVES them. She also like bread. So pie should be right up her alley. I knew K would scoff at it. When it had cooled and I cut a slice for B, she refused to even taste it. I was so angry. I actually left the room and went upstairs so I didn't just kill them. When I came down I was still really pissed. I basically told them that I had had it. They were not going to continue to eat like they were and when I got back from vacation we would all eat as a family. Whatever mommy (or daddy) cooked for dinner was IT. Nothing else unless you clear your plate, and no snacks when they come home from school (they get a snack at school at 4pm).

This week we started it. And what a joy it has been. Monday I played it easy on them - homemade chicken strips and McDonalds french fries. I actually went to Mickey Ds and bought the fries. Big Man gobbled it all up and wanted more. K and B sobbed to the point of hysteria all through dinner. DH decided that they could not leave the table until they had finished their plates. They had about 4-5 small pieces of chicken. K finally finished around 8:15 (15 minutes past bedtime). B didn't finish until nearly 9:15, after I had coated each piece in grated cheese.

Tuesday we had pork tenderloin with rice and green beans. The rule was you could leave the table after you had tried a bite of everything on your plate, but no more food unless you finished your dinner. This got all three of them screaming crying. Big Man liked the rice and green beans, but the pork was too much chewing for him. He had two pieces, and cried when I wouldn't give him yogurt. I could not get him to understand he had to eat the other two first. But I didn't want to break the rules in front of the girls. K and B again had sobbing crying fits. B eventually ate enough to get a cheese stick. K ate one piece and was done.

Tonight we are having chicken Marsala with pasta. Should be lovely. I think we are in for a few weeks of this, but I am hopeful we will someday have our nice, pleasant dinners. At the very least, I think I am going to need a nightly glass of wine with dinner to get through all the tantrums!

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

We had a lot of picnics in Paris. We would grab some baguettes, some cheese, some wine and some pasties and just pop a squat. One day, while picnicking near the Eiffel Tower, I decided to get a group picture. I carefully set my camera up on top of some plastic cups and set the timer. As I ran around my friends to drop into the picture, I slipped and slid on the grass and sort of ended up sliding into my spot. It didn't hurt, and was completely hysterical - especially the way I am looking happy and perfect in the picture while all my friends are looking at me.

But the best part is in the background of the picture. Over my shoulder is a police officer. He saw the whole thing and has the most priceless expression. Here it is blown up:

He looks so appalled. I can barely type this it makes me laugh EVERY time. He actually jumped over the little fence to come to my aid. He had a little hanky out for me to wipe the grass stains off my leg. I just couldn't stop laughing.

Here is the pretty version of the picture:

So while we were in Paris I had the joy of experiencing the public toilet. In Paris they have these sort of large tin cans that serve as individual public toilets. They are really kind of cool if you don't think about it too much. They used to cost money, but are now free. You push a button on the outside. If they are unoccupied the little bright silver door slides open. It automatically slides closed behind you. Once inside, you will see this:

Now, if you are like me, the first thing you will notice is that there is no drain. NO DRAIN. So where, pray tell does the waste go? I couldn't figure it out, so chose not to make any deposits. BTW - above the toilet contraption are a mirror, toilet paper, and (supposedly) hand sanitizer. I wasn't sticking my hands anywhere near any surface in here, so I never found out about the sanitizer.

Now comes the interesting part. You turn the handle to open the door to get out of the tin can. When you do, the door automatically closes behind you and locks. You will then see a sign outside that says "occupied". You then hear lots of commotion from inside and what sounds like an industrial shower. Thanks to the miracle of Google, I now know why there is no drain. Apparently the entire unit flips up into the wall and is thoroughly washed out on the other side (the waste disposal side). Then it flips back down and the door unlocks and is again available. It is kind of neat when you think of it. Where the waste goes from there I have no idea (nor do I want to know. Similar to my lack of any interest in the "sewer museum" my friends went to while I read a book outside. For me, the less known, the better).


Anyway, we also visited one of Paris' most beautiful public toilets that does not resemble this contraption in anyway. It was near the church of Mary Magdalene, and was GORGEOUS. Here are some pictures. I couldn't' get any really good ones due to the big sign that said "no pictures" - in ENGLISH. Seriously, why do the French think we would take pictures of bathrooms? Seriously! (hee hee) Anyway, these were Art Nouveau and very cool. Gorgeous tile and VERY clean. I highly recommend them if you are ever in need in Paris.

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

We are here in France, and are having a great time! Arrived this morning and found my way on the apartment via the metro. Really wish those things had escalators - hauling my luggage up and down stairs for two transfers was a bitch. Ahh well..a good workout, I guess!

We walked around Ile St Louis and did some fun shopping. Had a great ham and cheese crepe for lunch and a delicioso gelato!

We spent the afternoon waiting for our friends to show up (as it turned out there flight was significantly delayed). So now we are heading out to get provisions (wine, cheese, bread). Au Revior!

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

As I head off to Paris, I will leave you with this cool design created at http://www.wordle.net/! I may try and blog from the City of Lights!

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So my lovely daycare sent Big Man home with "pink eye" yesterday. And he couldn't come back without a doctor's note. I was sure he didn't have pink eye and when we saw him - with bright white (albeit gunky) eyes - I knew he didn't have pink eye. You see, they call it "pink eye" because when you have it there is discharge and your eyes are PINK. His were not at all.

Instead, like his sister before him, Big Man's nasal passages and tear ducts are closely related. So along with a runny nose, he sometimes gets runny gross eyes. His sister did it too. What he does have is a cold. And, as it turns out after a dr's visit, a double ear infection. Poor thing. He has been in a great mood - so hard to believe. And, ANNOYING considering the poor guy has ear tubes. This would be his third bout with ear infections since getting the tubes in October. My poor Big Man.

But -- ear infections are NOT contagious you crazy day care people!

We are keeping him home today while the antibiotics take hold and he is on the mend. But seriously, they are starting to make me crazy. I am all in favor of not spreading disease, but its driving me up a wall.

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So I am in process of planning two big vacations. What I cannot do without is a notebook. I have three dedicated notebooks for my trips - where I write down, and tape in, anything to do with the trip.

1) My trip to Paris. This is next week and I cannot wait. I am going with 6 of my girlfriends. Of the 7 of us, 4 turn 40 this year - so we are celebrating. A whole week in an apartment in the City of Lights - without kids or husbands. I am sooo excited. For this trip I have all information in a pretty travel journal with tabs. I have sections for shopping, eating, sightseeing, logistics and other. I have either written down information or cut and pasted information in. I plan to bring this with me on my trip.

2) DisneyWorld. We are taking our girls on a trip to Disney in November. I have been planning this from last February. I have a simple spiral notebook that I have used to write tips I have heard/seen, all of our advanced dining reservation confirmation codes, etc. I have even started to paste in maps and such. These notebooks are the way I stay organized, and have all the information I need in one place. That is what works for me! For more tips visit rocks in my dryer!

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So our kids are spoiled. They had never been to a baseball game that wasn't played in a professional stadium. Well, Saturday night we joined some friends at a summer college league game. It was in a beautiful brick baseball park, but still our girls were like, "where is the stadium?" It was kind of sad, really. But we all ended up having a great time. The food prices were actually survivable ($1.50 for popcorn vs $6.50 or so at the big park)! And we were sitting about 15 feet behind home plate (as opposed to our season tickets in the nose-bleeds!).

The best part though was that the girls were picked to announce the start of the game. Someone came through and asked one of our little friends, who said no. She then turned to K and asked her, and she was like "YEAH!" and of course, B had to go with her. I had Big Man on my lap at the time and was sitting 2 rows behind talking to a friend. I didn't even know what had gone on. At one point, I was like, where are the girls. But I noticed DH was gone, so figured they were all off somewhere.

They do the introductions of the teams and stuff, and then you hear over the loud speaker "And now we have 4-year old B her 6-year old sister K to begin the game!" and they YELL - "LET'S PLAY BALL!!!!!!" They were SOOOOO excited. They really loved it. We had to call Grampa after we left to tell him all about it. It totally made the night for them!

K pointed out that they were unlikely to get the chance to do that at "our" park, because "we sit too far away - they probably pick kids from the front". I told her she was probably right, and that she wasn't likely to yell "Play Ball" before a Nats game, but you never know!

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.

So since we now have a porch and a nice big deck, I bought the kids this great book for birdwatching. It is called "Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song" and has full color pictures of birds along with a device to play their calls. It is a little pricey, but oh so cool.

A few weeks ago, after a brief rain storm, a bunch of birds were in the back yard pulling up all the worms the rain had brought out. Most of them were Mourning Doves, but there was a Robin and a Cardinal as well. K had a great time tormenting the Robin by playing his call over and over. The bird kept looking up and trying to find the other Robin. He finally flew over and landed on the roof just over our heads.

I like it because it gets the kids interested in the outdoors. And its fun to mark how many birds we have been able to identify.

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/.  

Okay, so it wasn't exactly relaxing, but it was fun. We went to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. First, the trip there and back was awesome. We went on a Sunday and came back on Wednesday - great days to avoid traffic. We also planned it so we were driving right during nap time. All three kids slept for all but 20 minutes of the drive up, and 40 minutes of the drive back. SWEET! Second, we had a great hotel. We stayed in the Avenue Inn, and I highly recommend it. Free breakfast, happy hour daily, and nightly chocolate chip cookies included! They also had laundry machines on premises, and a cool indoor/outdoor pool. It was all indoors, but had big sliding doors open to a rooftop patio. Perfect for enjoying the weather with no sun exposure!!! The customer service was fantastic - they drove us in a golf cart the 2 1/2 blocks to the ocean to help us cart all our crap. AMAZING!

I had never been to RB except for just walking around for a few hours. It is SOOO kid-friendly. No packs of rowdy teenagers, lots of lifeguards, and plenty of police presence. The beach is really nice - the girls LOVED it. Big Man, not so much. He was ok with the sand, as long as he didn't have to see, hear, or know the ocean was there. He REALLY did not like it. In his defense, they were red-flag no swimming days the whole time we were there, and there was a lot of surf and wave-crashing action. But he HATED it. Would become hysterical when he could see the ocean. The girls loved playing in the surf, building sand castles, and digging for crabs.

There is also this great place called FunLand. It is a little cheesy amusement park - but perfect for little kids. And it is CHEAP. We spent a total of $40 on ride tickets the whole 4 days we were there, and we let the kids go on anything they wanted. The littlest rides (perfect for Big Man) were 1 ticket (which worked out to be something like 18 cents)!!! He LOVED it. All three of them did. We did kill another $10 or so winning them race horses in a skee-ball type game.

We also rented bikes, flew a kite on the beach, and ate lots of really bad-for-you food. All in all, a great time! Will definitely do it again.

Cross posted on http://www.threetimemommy.blogspot.com/