Murphy's Laws for Moms

Sometimes, the day just never seems to end.  I've picked up toys, kids and a headache numerous times throughout the day.  So, when it's time for dinner, I just don't have the energy nor the motivation to make a homemade, hot meal.   Well, tonight, I discovered something fantastic that is my new long day, go-to, hot, homemade meal: Grilled Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches. Some of you might be saying, "Hey, that meal doesn't really count as a homemade, hot meal."  Well,for this busy mom, I'm not listening to your arguments.  It's easy.  The kids ate all of it and asked for more.  It contains grains, protein, and fruit.  We added carrot sticks for the veggie and a glass of milk (almond milk for my dairy-free child)...a well-balanced meal. What's better is, that by grilling these PB&J's, it made me feel like I had done more for my kids.  I didn't feel like a helpless parent once again feeding my children trash. So, ...

When my children were babies, traveling during naptime made sense. It didn't matter the type of travel: car, train, or plane. The kids would sleep. As they grew out of infancy, the excitement of air or train travel would eventually wear off and they would still go to sleep. So, we booked early morning or late night travel with this sole rationale in mind. Now, as my kids move later into toddlerhood and out of this stage, my kids become more excited by the fact that they're traveling at a time when they're supposed to be sleeping. "Mom, we're flying on an airplane...BEFORE 7 A.M!!" My latest round of traveling has shown me a new Mama Law of travel: When you book your tickets based on the thought that your children will sleep, they will stay awake the entire time. So, for all of you parents who are planning your summer vacations, think about your own sanity first when booking the travel arrangements. Don't take the early morning/late nig...

Murphy's Laws for Moms states that, when traveling to visit friends or family, your child (or children) will determine the easiest and fastest way to show their true identity. In my case, that means my son will locate the one permanent marker within the entire house and draw on a wall that's been painted with a pattern. Therefore, even though we know that rubbing alcohol will remove the marks, it will also change the pattern.

Death is a difficult topic for an adult, but then when you have to explain it to a child, it becomes a bit more complex.  Recently, my husband and I had to have this discussion with our children. Our 2-year-old didn't really pay attention, but our 5-year-old was very curious. Before the viewing and funeral, we talked to our daughter about Grandma passing away and that she was now in Heaven. There were many questions about whether or not we could still visit Grandma and when we would all go to Heaven. Talking about our own mortality wasn't especially fun for me as a mom, especially when my daughter said she wanted to go to Heaven now to be with Grandma and Jesus. Then, we got to the viewing and, after much discussion with my husband, we decided we would take the kids. When our daughter walked in and saw Grandma's body, she immediately asked if we were in Heaven - tears immediately came to my eyes. Questions continued about why she could see Grandma but she wasn'...

Sometimes you just need a little reminder of what to do in the bathroom.  Instead of just printing off a checklist from one of my Pinterest pins, my kids and I worked together to create our own potty checklist. It isn't anything fancy, but it gets the job done and my kids talk through each step as they're in the potty - being sure not to miss any. Now, if I could just get others in the house to follow each step!

So many times during the day I try to be a good, Christian mom.  I thank God for giving me two vibrant children who fill my house with...and that's where I get stuck. Because, truthfully, what I often feel like my house is filled with is chaos, clutter, disasters, screaming, fighting, tears, and insanity.  My house is not my sanctuary.  It is not a place where I feel at rest.  Half the day I'm running up and down stairs, pulling things out of toilets, scrubbing messes off floors, pulling kids apart, and hosing them down. By the end of the day, I'm done.  I find myself just yearning for my kids to finally go to sleep, to shut their doors and hear no more questions or needs. I try to count it all as joy, but this is a tough thing to do when you have no energy left to feel any emotion beyond pure exhaustion.  Let's be honest. Joy takes energy.  It takes motivation.  It takes switching my mind from what would be much easier - to just be defeated -...

I'm continually searching for whole meals that my kids will eat that are not Happy Meals. This is no easy task as it needs to be something that is fairly simple so that I can easily prepare without my kids destroying the house. It needs to look normal or another battle will be waged at the dinner table.  It needs to be inexpensive because, let's face it, my kids most likely won't eat it.  And, it needs to be something that I actually want to eat, too. I can usually find one or two food items that my kids will eat, but a whole meal...hardly ever.  Then, as I was strolling through my Pinterest feed while waiting for Child #2 to either decide he did or did not have something to extricate from his belly.  I came across a masterpiece! Mostly Homemade Mom: Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole - Country Crock Sta.. This dish is amazing.  Not only was it something that I felt could be served in a restaurant of the not drive-thru kind, but  it was real food. I loved...

It seems like I have tried just about every product out there to disguise the problems my skin gives me.  Acne, oily skin, dry skin, blotchy skin...you name it.  Every time I've mastered disguising one of these problems, my skin changes and it's on to a new challenge.  Now, I am facing the challenge of the baggy, puffy, dark circles under my eyes. Unlike the saggy skin around my midsection that proves my body expanded to grow a child or the droopy chest that demonstrates I nursed my children, all the under eye problems only do is say I'm completely and utterly exhausted.  I can hide - and even improve - the my midsection and chest areas with Spanx and push up bras.  I can even increase my breast size back to its pre-birth size with the amazingness of padded bras.  I can also hide every single stretch mark on my body with my clothing.  But, under eye...it's right there staring - literally - everyone in the face. So, I've been searching around, and a...

The amount of time it takes a child to learn how to break through your child-proofing efforts is directly proportional to the amount of money and time you've spent on them. However, there is no relation to the amount of time it will take you and other adults to still remember where and how to use each feature. Point of reference: It took one day for my 2-year-old child to figure out the 4-step toilet lock. He now unlocks it for adult visitors to our home.

I don't know what it is about garbage trucks, but they fascinate my children. Seeing one can end fights and tantrums. It causes joy for both child and parent because, with its presence, comes a moment when we are all at peace. It's not an occupation I much considered before having kids. Yes, I've always known it's an important position, but I didn't think much of it. Now, as a parent, my biggest gratitude and appreciation goes out to those who drive this magical truck which causes my children to pause and be calm for longer than most anything else. We seek you out on trash days for fun and it's become an exciting game of who can spot the most trash trucks. Thank you for being a hero to my children. Thank you for being a maker of serenity for me. Thank you for doing an underappreciated job. Thank you, Garbage Man.

Teaching my kids about Stranger Danger is an interesting concept...they don't understand what - or who - a stranger is.  Just seeking out Merriam-Webster's definition (someone who you have not met before or do not know) doesn't work with Stranger Danger.  Because, as is Murphy's Laws for Moms, I tell my kids that someone is a stranger - we do not know them - and they immediately decide to get to know them.  They ask them questions.  We find out their name, their age, what they do for a living and, occasionally, where they live.  It's amazing how much information children can get out of complete strangers! But, the fact of the matter is, these people are still strangers.  We still don't know them.  They may very well be good people, but they are STILL strangers. I tend to use errands as learning experiences for my children (that is, when I have the energy to take my kids on my errands).  We will walk through the store and talk about the p...