Last Christmas one of the things Number 4 asked for was an iPod, but after seeing how the kids are often irresponsible with stuff that they don’t actually spend their own money on, I decided that if they wanted any electronics, they would have to buy them themselves. So Number 4 has been saving up […]
Life at My House
This Is Reality
Last week my parents came up to the house and helped me clean up my disaster of a house on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. My dining room in particular remains a challenge for me to keep neat and uncluttered. My dining room table always ends up as the dumping ground for laundry and inevitably, a […]
If You Are Having A Hard Time Getting Your Kids Out The Door In The Morning, This Approach May Help.
Today we had one of those rare mornings where everyone had eaten breakfast, everyone was dressed, all teeth were brushed and all lunches were packed about a half an hour before the buses were coming. What I have learned from experience though, is that even when we are all pretty much ready to go with […]
You Smell Like A Butthole
Number 7’s go to insult is “You smell like a butthole.” A few years ago, I would have responded to this differently than I do now. A few years ago, I would have reprimanded and shamed any of the kids for speaking to each other that way. Or I would have, out of exasperation, pretended […]
I Guess I’m Just A Survivor
Tonight’s dinner conversation: Me: Number 7, let’s do your hair tonight so it’s ready for soccer in the morning since I won’t be here. Number 7: Where are you going? Me: To a swim meet with Number 3 and 4. Let me do two french braids. Then Daddy doesn’t have to worry about your hair. […]
Do vs. Don’t
Sometimes I get to the end of the day and I feel like all I’ve done is say no and don’t to the kids 5,000 times and tell them to stop doing stuff. The no’s and the don’ts are tiring and not fun — for me or for the kids — and they aren’t especially effective. […]
