Tag Archives: Family

Mompiphany #45: The Mommy End-Of-Year Review (And Raise)

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Money

My husband recently received a promotion at work. While I could not be more proud of him, I realized that, at jobs around the world, dutiful employees are gearing up for end-of-year reviews, celebrating promotions, and looking forward to the bounty of bonuses and raises. So I started thinking: It is a crop of bull@#$% that stay-at-home moms don’t get reviews, promotions or raises. Like seriously…. everyone I know agrees with me when I angrily state that being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job ever and while we do get paid in love, hugs and projectile vomit, we are not exactly making the Fortune 500 bucks when you work at a job where you do not get compensated with actual money. So, I told my husband that I plan to put some time on his calendar to go over my job performance and talk about a promotion and wage increase (and I am not kidding in the least).

I have graded myself on a few things: Are all of the kids accounted for? Is the house somewhat intact? Does everyone at least have clean underwear (if nothing else) to wear? Are the meals edible? On all of my job responsibilities I feel that I have exceeded expectations and in some cases have gone above and beyond the scope of my job. I mean really…. just because I am a stay-at-home mom does that really mean I need to be the one to stay-at-home for Every.Single.Solitary repairman that comes?

And, since I started this gig, I have not taken a true vacation. And, even though Tuesday is my self-appointed “day off,” inevitably someone’s bottom needs to be wiped, someone’s lunch needs to be made, and someone’s homework has been left on the counter requiring me to bring it to them at school. I have assumed my role as a stay-at-home with a fair amount of grace and a slight amount of red-in-the-face screaming, but through it all, I have never given up, looked for a new job or thought about adding a very strong laxative in my boss’s dinner when he suggests that I am being a little too hard on the kids when I tell them to put their dirty clothes IN their hampers.

So, yes, my husband received a promotion, but I think we all know that if I did not do my job, there is no way that he could successfully do his.

And, regardless of what my husband grades me, I know that I am doing the best that I can so I hereby give myself a promotion, a bonus and a raise.

Here’s to upward mobility!

Mompiphany #43: The Perfect Number Of Kids

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Our growing family on vacation this summer.

What I find so funny and so annoying (and by the way… my husband will confirm that almost everything annoys me these days) are the opinions that people have about the “perfect” number of kids to have.

When we first got married, people asked us right away if we planned to have kids. Yes, we did plan on it, so I didn’t find that question all THAT annoying. But, looking back on it, it is quite intrusive to ask a couple if and when they plan to procreate. News Flash: some people don’t want to have kids and some people desire nothing more than to have a child but are having issues conceiving and either way it should not be a topic of conversation.

When we had our first daughter, people almost immediately starting asking us if we wanted two kids and by two kids what I really mean is that people asked us if we would have another child with the hope of having a boy because it seems that a girl and boy is the American dream. We did plan on having more kids, but it did slightly annoy me when people would insinuate that my husband would surely die a slow, horrible death if he was not blessed with a man-child.

Once we had two kids (and two girls no less), people really started pouring it on thick, asking us (in front of our girls mind you) if we were going to try for a boy because clearly having a child who knowingly and happily pees on the floor without the slightest shame is heaven on earth. It was at this time that I got (more) annoyed and would start to go HAM on little old ladies who would beg me to “give” my husband a son.

Astor and I planned on having three kids (regardless of their sex) when we got married so when we were trying for baby #3, we were trying in earnest for a healthy child, who would listen and hopefully eat what I cooked for dinner and not necessarily be the next male heir to the throne.

Once we had two girls and a boy no one ever asked us again if we were going to have any more kids. In people’s minds it seemed that two girls and a boy should be enough and that it was time for my uterus to be decommissioned.

Now that I am pregnant with our fourth child, I hear no shortage of advice, recommendations and tips as to what having a family of six will be like. Some tips are actually helpful (start saving money for a great sitter who can watch the baby when you want to do things with your older kids) while other tips are downright rude (when you are on the table giving birth be sure to ask for a tubal ligation).

Contrary to popular belief, there is no perfect child (and while we are on this subject, please stop asking me via your Facebook status to vote for your child in the cutest baby alive contest, this really annoys me) , there is no perfect number of kids to have, and there certainly is no perfect gender to have. From zero kids to four girls or four boys or more, the perfect number of kids is the amount that you decide to have or not to have.

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Mompiphany #42: There Are Winners and There Are Losers

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We are somewhat of a sporty family. My husband played sports growing up and also played college football at the Naval Academy (if the kids and I ever doubt it, he is quick to pull out his highlight films). I also played sports when I was younger, and I make living a healthy, active life style a priority for our family. We don’t make our kids play sports, but we certainly encourage that they do and thankfully they all really like them.  Since they were each very young we have introduced them to a variety of sports, helping them to figure out what they enjoy the most.

As you all know, I have yet to meet a pep talk that I didn’t like. In fact, I have shared a couple of my pep talks with you before, so it should come as no surprise that I have one for their respective sports . Before the kids go off to their sporting events, I have an abridged version of a pep talk. I don’t like to interfere (too much) with the instruction that they receive from their coaches, but I always tell them to play hard, do their best, and to try and win.

GASP! When my kids play sports I actually tell them that they should try to win. I know that, in this day and age, I must seem like a horrible crazy mommy, but I actually think that part of playing sports is trying to win. I always laugh when I hear other parents tell their children that sports is just about having fun. Of course, fun should be a major component of sports, but isn’t it simply more fun when you win?

It seems like nowadays the voice of  being competitive has been stifled by all of this politically correct nonsense:  “Everyone wins!” “Everyone is the best!” “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose.”  Blah Blah Blah. While all of these catch phrases sound good in theory, I could not disagree with them more. In life, there are winners and there are losers. I always tell my kids you do not want to be a loser, and I am not just talking about sports when I say it. A loser to me is someone who doesn’t TRY to win. If you try to win and you have done your best then you can be proud of what you did. You are not necessarily the winner, but you have done a good job. If you don’t try to win or try to do your best, in my eyes that makes you a loser. I know it sounds harsh, but I usually tell them this with a warm smile on my face and I do cap it off with a high-five and a light tap on the derriere like any good coach would.

If my kids play to win — whether it be at sports or the game of life — I will be one super proud mommy. And, if one of them just so happens to make it pro, thanks me in one of their award acceptance speeches at the ESPYs, allows me and Astor to retire early and sets us up in the best possible nursing home, I will be even more proud. I mean, seriously, it is the least they could do to thank me for taking them to their practices every day, sitting outside in the rain, sleet and snow watching and cheering them on. And, let’s not even talk about the small sporting goods store that I could open in our basement with all of the equipment that we have purchased through the years.  Go Team Heaven!

Mompiphany #41: Things No Pregnant Woman Wants To Hear

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This is a picture of me one week before I gave birth to my son Miller, a little over 3 years ago.

I have been pregnant enough times to know that when you are pregnant there is NO shortage of advice, opinions and stories that people like to share with you, whether it be a close friend or the lady waiting next to you in line at Costco. With my first pregnancy, I usually remained mum when I got unsolicited advice. For example, nine years ago I was set (or so I thought) on having an epidural-free birth but lots and I do mean lots of women kept telling me that an epidural was the only way to go. I would patiently listen while these more vaginally-seasoned mothers would tell me that there is no way in hell I should go sans pain killers (ironically, I do now agree with their assessment). But, at the time, I would patiently listen, seething inside thinking how rude for anyone to project their situation on me.

Now, I am a wee bit more “vocal” when people say things that I think are a little insensitive when I am pregnant.  On several recent outings, I have had people say everything from “You must be having a girl because your nose has spread” to “Did I tell you about my friend who was in active labor for 32 hours and then had to have an emergency c-section but only after the doctors tried to use the forceps to pull the baby out?”

By far, the hardest information to hear when you are expecting are the stories about expectant mothers who find out devastating news about their baby’s health before they are born.  It is also heart wrenching hearing about moms who have to experience the death of their unborn child for some horrific reason.

Now, each of the above scenarios is very different but all of them will leave a pregnant woman very, very, very concerned. Concerned that in addition to her butt and thighs spreading and her patience spreading thin, that she should also be worried about being in labor for one full day and then having to have major surgery with the very horrible possibility that the baby she has been bonding with for the past 9 months may not survive. I am not saying that people should sugar coat things with mommies-to-be, but I will say that unless someone asks you for your opinion or your thoughts it is probably best to keep some information to yourself.

For example, if someone ASKED me, I would be more than willing to share that I did not get one single stretch mark until I was 9 months pregnant with my first child and that in one day tons of stretch marks erupted like Mount Vesuvius on my stomach. If someone ASKED me, I would share that after I had my second daughter I was so constipated that I could not go #2 for FIVE days and when I was finally able to “go” it looked like something out of The Exorcist. Of course, I would only share these true accounts of my experience if someone asked.

But, no one has ever asked me so I have never really felt the need to tell moms-to-be all of that information. Do you know what I say to pregnant women? I simply say: You look great. That is it. That is all. Now isn’t that a lot more pleasant than hearing about a stage 3 tear?

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Mompiphany #36: Understanding The 8 Year Old Girl

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English: Lightbulb. Linguistic teaching tool

Sometimes I am seriously confused by my 8 year old daughter. One of the reasons I was so excited when I had my daughter almost 9 years ago was that I am a girl, I love being a girl and I love the bond that daughters and mothers can have. Never did I think that I would be confused as all get out by my pre-pubescent daughter. She gets upset, and I listen and I try to understand what is upsetting her. But, truth be told, I don’t really understand, not even in the least.

The other day she came home with a major ‘tude from camp. Now I will say that all children are different but this child is gifted and talented in popping an attitude like nobody’s business. I usually just “gently” let her know that if there is something wrong she should let me know but that I cannot, will not let her funk drag down the whole family dynamic. So, anyway, the other day she came home with a serious attitude and burst into tears because she was hungry. Huh? I am like well, do I need to pack you more for lunch? Do you need to eat a bigger, heartier breakfast?

Marlee (hysterical): “I don’t know I am just always hungry.” At this point I am seriously confused. Is she really hungry? Is hungry some sort of code for some sort of hormonal imbalance that is happening? I felt like such an outsider. I knew something was wrong but had no idea how to fix it and really no idea how to proceed. Internally, my confusion started turning to annoyance. What I wanted to say was: “I mean really!! What the HELL is wrong?! If you are hungry than EAT. In fact you turned your nose up at dinner last night, so I don’t actually feel the slightest bit sorry that you are hungry now when you shunned the tasty baked cod, brown rice and steamed broccoli that I made.” But, instead of saying any of that (out loud) I said, “You know what? I don’t like being hungry either. Let’s make sure that we pack a little more for your lunch and if you are hungry during the day you can always get healthy stuff like fruit (which I keep on the counter) and let’s see how that works.” She shrugged (which I interpreted as a smile) and went back to being “herself.”

In that moment I had a major Mompiphany: It doesn’t matter if you are 8, 16, or 36, sometimes you just want someone to listen to you and at least pretend like they understand and get it (even if they really don’t). I have been (on occasion) known to get annoyed when I am venting to my husband and instead of listening to me and commiserating with me he starts trying to tell me why I should be promoted to conductor on my crazy train. I get so annoyed that he doesn’t see my point and just agree with me.

Last night, I GOT my daughter, and she and I were both happier for it. See?! Isn’t being a girl and having a girl just grand?! (said with mild sarcasm)

Mompiphany #35: Pregnancy Scare

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I recently had a pregnancy scare. It sounds almost comical to write that. I am 36 and have been married for 10 years. My husband and I own a nice-sized home, we have a mini- van (clearly the vehicle of choice for Moms who have realized after their third time pooping on the delivery table that there really is no more practical car for a large family), we have a Costco membership and are able to provide healthy meals and snacks for our family. We have enough love, medical insurance, and patience to care for our family no matter what size it is. Yet, when I thought that I could be pregnant I was scared. Like, broke out in a cold sweat, saw my care-free days filled with 3 kids in school pass right before my eyes. I totally empathize with all of the girls on 16 and pregnant (although they look like they took the news of their pregnancies a lot better than I did.)

I took a pregnancy test and before I even checked the results some FIVE days later, I knew what the result would be: POSITIVE. I am positively pregnant with our fourth child. I, of course, had publicly declared to anyone who would listen that we were done having kids. I even gave away all of my maternity and baby related things (oh.. and to all of my friends to whom I have given my things, I will be needing EVERYTHING back. Thanks in advance!). I swore that the only way to justify having more than three kids was to live on a farm, which we don’t.

My husband took the news of our expanding family much better than I did. “Oh this is great. It will be great. Big families are great.” Of course, I know that it will be great… eventually when the baby is sleeping through the night but I worry. I worry if I have enough to give a 4th child. I wonder if my breasts can even produce milk anymore given the fact that they are virtually nonexistent after nursing three kids. I worry that my husband and I will be prisoners in our own home once the children realize that there are strength in numbers. I worry that I will have to go to jail for cutting someone who snidely says “WOW” or “God bless you!!!” and looks at us like zoo animals as we get out of our clown car.

But even with all of that worry, one thing is not changing: I am 3.5 months pregnant (and by the way– when you are having your 4th child, you automatically look like you are in your last trimester almost immediately after having relations) and at the beginning of next year we will be blessed with another child.  We will be a family of six. YOWZER!! It should make for a very interesting ride with lots of Mompiphanies. Hopefully, I will have enough time and wherewithal to write about them!

Mompiphany #34: 8 Things Parents Need for Back To School

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School buses in the fall

This post is all about the eight things that you need for back to school, not you as in your school-aged child but you as in the parent. My oldest daughter is going into the third grade and my youngest daughter will be entering Kindergarten so while I don’t have a ton of back to school experience under my belt, I have enough to know the truly important things for any parent to ensure that going back to school is the joyous occasion that it is.

1. Labels

Label all of your kids’ back to school items because if they are like my kids they will lose everything: Eye-glasses, backpacks, lunchpacks, binders, sweatshirts, sneakers, etc. My rule of thumb is that I label anything and everything that I paid money for. And, there is no use for coy initials or a cute preppy monogram — on the inside of all of my kids things I have labels that say: please return to “first and last name.” I especially like Mabel’s Labels.

2. Busybody Friend

As I have said before I really don’t love it when other Moms interview you for the job of being their friend. It is rude and downright insulting BUT I will say that having a friend (you can use the word loosely) who is in the know about all things school related can be very helpful. These type of friends generally have their ear to the pulse of the school. They know some important information and some not so important information but they can be helpful if you want information or want to be in the know but don’t particularly want to do the dirty work. Unfortunately parental cliques at elementary schools can sometimes make the Mean Girls movie look tame but you don’t want your child to miss out on any opportunities because you are not in the loop. Have at least one “know it all” in your friend arsenal and it will help you easily navigate the waters.

3. Alarm Clock

Now technically this is for the kids but it is really also for you. Invest in alarm clocks for your kids. It is an easy way for them to start the process of waking themselves up for school. Set the alarm for a few minutes before they have to actually get up. I used to do my kids a “favor” by letting them sleep as late as possible in the morning, but inevitably my act of good will would backfire because I would let them sleep too late and then have to wake them up by screaming, “GET UP NOW!” An alarm clock will do a world of good for everyone.

4. Hidden Supply of School Supplies

I have a set area for the kids’ school supplies so that they can have pencils and the like at their fingertips, but as always is the case, when you need a glue stick there are none to be found. I keep a secret stash of glue sticks, scissors, pencils, and rulers out of the kids’ reach so that when they need them I have them and don’t have to run out to Target (highly irritated) at the last minute.

5. Organized Area for Backpacks and Shoes

We recently had a mud room built into our laundry are, and I will say that, outside of cord blood banking and our kids’ 529 college savings plans, this is one of the best investments that we have made. Building a home organization system with hooks for backpack and lunchpacks, and cubbies for shoes, sports gear and hats and gloves can be pricey, so if this is not an investment that you are able to make you can go a little more low-key and get a simple row of hooks and baskets that you can hang near your entryway so that there is a set place for all of your kids’ things.

6. Large Calendar

We have a large dry erase calendar in our kitchen and it is especially useful during the school year. Juggling play dates, school-related functions, play-dates and all of the family events that we have to attend can leave even the most organized person a little frazzled. I know that a lot of people have fancy hi-tech ways to keep track of their schedules, but we keep it old school. I put all of the events for the month on our calendar and I color code each of the kids’ activities and events so that I can make sure that everyone is set for their things.

7. Lunch Ideas

I have been pretty vocal about my love/hate relationship with Pinterest, but I will say that it can come in handy when you are looking for inspiration especially when it comes to meal planning. Before the school year starts, I start asking my friends as well as looking online for new, different lunch ideas for my kids. This year will be the first year that I will have three lunches to make so the more ideas I have in my arsenal the better, ‘cause Lord knows that by the time that last of school rolls around I am willing to throw a juice box, a piece of fruit and some sun chips in a lunch box and call it a day. Be careful of Pinterest though, no sense in stressing yourself out about making crudite in the shape of Darth Vader for your little one.

8. Overhaul of the Kids’ Closets

I love a good purge and one of my favorite times to do one is before school starts. No sense in even having any sort of argument in the morning about what the kids can and cannot wear to school. I put away anything that would even remotely be questionable (ballet flats that are too small, spiderman tees that look like a web of holes, a favorite pair of pants that are so small that you cannot sit criss-cross apple-sauce, etc.) so that the arguments, negotiating, etc, never even have to occur. Everything that is left in the closet after my purge is fair game for school. This really helps the process run a lot smoother in the mornings.

What are your keys to make the mornings and life a little easier when your kids head back to school. Please share any and all tips!

Mompiphany #28: Overuse Of The Word Mom

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As much as I love being a mother, sometimes I absolutely hate hearing my name: Mom, Mommy, Moooooooooooom!!! All. Day. Long. When I was a child, I remember getting into trouble for saying my own mother’s name too much. “If one more person says my name [fill in a threat of violence],” my mom would threaten my sister and me. Now I know exactly how she felt because the incessant calling of “mom” can be very annoying. I know that being a mom is privilege that not everyone can enjoy, but I also know that even June Cleaver would go postal if her own children called her name as often as mine do.

My 3 year old son is the biggest culprit of overuse. From the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed he is saying, yelling, whispering, whining, and repeating my name. Maybe it would not be as grating if he simply said my name in a pleasant fashion, something like “Mom, I love you and while you may not be happy with the way your bathing suit looks right now, I think that you look like you did in the high school yearbook that you keep making us look at.” Instead, he yells it, whines it, screams it, even when he doesn’t have to, e.g., when I am sitting on the couch RIGHT next to him, he will yell, “MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!” Sometimes it is followed by an adorable pause and an “I love you,” but most of the time, “MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!” is followed by another yelling of my name with some sort of request or declaration, like “I am hungry,” “I am tired,” “Mckinley is bothering me,” “I have to poop,” “I just pooped,” “I miss Daddy” – you get the point.

I feel horrible for thinking this or even writing it but if I hear my name yelled one more time I may lose it. I have threatened my kids that if they scream/whine/yell my name like that I won’t answer and I will put the offender in time out. But, my threats are ignored. (This is probably because they can’t hear me and are too busy yelling my name.) And, I do not blame my kids for picking up this annoying habit; I blame that annoying cartoon, Phineas and Ferb (which is now banned at my house.)  The way the teenage character, Candace, whines “Moooooooooooooooooom” is enough to make you want to scream.

Is there anything that your kids do that make you want to holler? Please tell me I am not the only one.

Mompiphany #24: Messing Up The Kitchen Might Get You Cut

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English: Picture of three sponges Deutsch: Fot...

When I first started staying home, I wondered if we really needed our cleaning lady anymore. Instead of holding down a full time job and shuttling all of the kids to their bazillion activities and the like, I was now the Chief Operating Officer of our household (as well as the resident neat police) and I figured that I would be able to maintain the cleanliness of our home. I like to pride myself on being neat and organized, so I figured that I could (and should) take on the role of cleaning lady. I planned to assume all of the duties of a stay at home mom and cleaning, of course, is at the top of the list.

I called our cleaning lady and told her that I would like her to come just once a month (hey… baby steps! we have had a cleaning lady for the last 9 years so I needed to take it slow) and that I would be able to handle all of the cleaning outside of that. For that first month, I cleaned every day, around the clock. I was a sweeping mad woman. I scrubbed toilets every day and wiped down counters. I also straightened beds, swiffer-jetted floors, folded laundry – you get the point. I was doing all of this cleaning but our house never really felt or looked clean. And, because I was doing all of this work, I was a royal pain in everyone’s butt. Mess up the kitchen that just took me 4 hours to clean? You might get cut. Pee on the floor in the bathroom that I just scrubbed? Are you out of your mind?

I was so annoying to my family with my new proprietary ownership of all things clean in the house that I would literally suck the life out of any room that I entered. If the kids went to bed and left toothpaste spit in the sink, I would stand outside their rooms seriously contemplating waking them up just to clean it. If my husband left his shoes out, I would angrily throw them into the closet with the force of a javelin thrower at the Olympics. If my kids or husband didn’t rinse their respective bowls and put them in the sink, I would feel tears well up in my eyes while I muttered that nobody appreciates me. Crazy, right?

Now I know that a lot of people can’t afford the luxury of a cleaning lady, but if you can afford it, I suggest that you get one, like for real. Is cleaning the house hard in and of itself? Not really but it is time consuming. and when you have 4 other messy people living in your house it can make you feel like a gerbil in one of those hamster cages.

After trying this cleaning experiment for a month, I am happy to report that we are back to having our lovely cleaning lady come every other week, and I am in a happier place for it (and I suspect my kids and husband are happier for it too). Having a cleaning lady is certainly an extra expense and I realize that so I have decided to make sacrifices in other areas. I will become an extreme couponing expert. I also plan to go longer a period of time before paying to maintain my eyebrows. I have started growing herbs in our yard, and I am even willing to do my own bikini wax (gulp!). But our cleaning lady is the one budget line item that must stay, for the sake of all involved. I am thinking that having a cleaning lady is a lot less expensive than paying the monthly fee to have me committed to the nearest mental hospital.

Mompiphany #10: Bedtime Should Be In The Morning

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Before I had kids, I thought that bedtime involved a warm beverage, cuddling in a big cozy blanket, reading for a few minutes, and then drifting off to sleep.  I was even prepared to share some of that routine with the kids.  If you were to see the bedtime routine at our house now, however, it is a lot less warm and cozy and a little more like something out of the exorcist.  I think my head actually spun around 180 degrees once.  Here’s a little taste of what’s going on in my house at bedtime:

To begin our routine, I shut all of the windows to make sure that our neighbors do not have to bear witness to what is about to go down.  Each of my kids takes a shower solo so I have a constant assembly line of butts to wash, faces to clean, and knees to scrub.  The assembly line sometimes get stymied because one likes a bath in tepid temperatures, one likes a shower with warm water, and one prefers to shower without any water or soap (Is that even a shower??).

While everyone is in the process of getting clean, I put my 3 year old son on the potty and make him poop on demand.  Demand seems like such a harsh word, but that is exactly what I do. I actually sit him on the potty and forcefully tell him if he does not poop in this very instant he will not get steps 7 thru 12 in his precious bedtime routine.  While he is screaming that he doesn’t have to poop, my other two children start in on their begging, pleading, whining for Fiber Gummies and Gummy Vitamins (which I hold for ransom to ensure that the bedtime routine runs a little smoother.)

My oldest daughter then throws all of her dirty clothes in a pile next to the hamper in her closet, and then starts trying to smuggle books into her bed so that she can “secretly” read into the wee hours of the morning.  My middle daughter drags out a mannequin  doll head that she likes to comb obsessively while pretending to read a book to it.  My son goes from room to room annoying the mess out of his sisters.

After all of these shenanigans, I brush everyone’s teeth. On a good night, they don’t ask for floss and mouthwash, but on a bad night they request that I brush for 2 minutes (as per the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists) and massage their gums in a circular motion.  ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

Once they are all ready for bed (and this whole process can take as little as 20 minutes if Mommy has a headache), they take turns talking on the phone to daddy, who, if I didn’t know better, is probably parked three doors down from our house, listening to talk radio waiting to see the last night light turned on thereby ensuring that the kids are asleep. (At least, that’s what I would do if I had the luxury of working outside the home during bedtime.) Once they profess their undying love for Daddy, they glaringly look at me, hang up the phone, and all hell breaks loose…again.  Crying, whining, fighting, peeing, and the occasional, “Mom, I think I left my spelling words for my test tomorrow at school. Can I call a friend?”

As I am writing all of this, the routine really does not sound that bad. But, trust me, to live through it – each and every day — it is that bad. Or maybe it is me?  Maybe I am the one that is being bad.  Something in me just turns off at night and I find it hard to care about anything other than my peach green tea and my DVR. I have spent countless hours up with the kids nursing, rubbing, hugging, holding, being vomited on, coughed on, pooped on, etc. When night comes around, I feel like that time is mine. I own my night, and no, I don’t want to share it with anyone.

If putting my kids to bed at 6:45 am were an option I would be all over it, bedtime should absolutely be in the morning.  Anyone else agree?

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