Dealing With 'Threenagers'

As a parent, I have come to know that one thing is certain: the terrible two’s ain’t got nothin’ on a THREE YEAR OLD.

In my experience, two is a great age. They develop personality, start forming sentences, being a friend instead of just your baby. For me, it was a fun, hilarious age. Then the dreaded age of three came along and ripped my dreams from me. I’m being dramatic of course, but in all honesty, three is HARD.

Let me explain why: A three year old is smart. They figure out they actually have a say in things. They push limits to test boundaries. They will find out what they can and cannot get away with. They start learning things like letters and counting, ya know, the big kid things. They are toddlers, but seriously. I find myself saying, “where did my baby go? The tiny feet? The toothless smile? Where is the baby I raised?!’ Well, that baby turned into a spitting, booger eating three year old.

Don’t let me scare you away. Three is also so fun. Again, they can be your friend, your little buddy. They are smart and curious, creative and still hilarious.

The hard times come when they are trying to figure out their boundaries. What pushes moms buttons? What does she really not like? This is actually a hugely important phase, where they learn consequence and discipline. The whole teaching process is no walk in the park though.

If I haven’t scared you off from having children forever, let me share with you things I have learned about helping you survive these phases of a threenager.

1. Most of the time, kids need attention. When my son starts throwing things across the room and yelling bad words (like stupid, and shut-up), I try to have a ‘time-in’. Instead of sending him off to a corner or his room for a time-out (which trust me, I do that too), I ask him if he needs a time-in. And guess what? He almost always says yes. A time-in is simple: a few minutes of just the two of you. Now, because he did something naughty to get this attention, there is no talking. Sometimes he cries. I hold him on my lap, and swarm him with a bear hug, restricting him to move. I just sit there for a few minutes, holding my baby, to reassure him that I’m here. Try it, it really helps.
2. Assigning daily jobs. Sounds like a punishment, but it’s not! My son thinks this is so awesome and he loves doing things all by himself. Brushing teeth, getting dressed, and making his bed are all mandatory every day. And I make him do these by himself, even if he only brushes his two front teeth and his bed looks like he just got out of it. I monitor and give tips but try to make him do this independently. Then I choose one job for him to do around the house. Taking out the trash, wiping down light switches, wiping down the baseboards in a room, cleaning door handles, picking up the toys in the yard, cleaning the toilet (with lots of help from mom), or anything I need. This shows the child that you trust them, and they are an important part of the family.
3. Playing with your child. Before you slam the door in my face, hear me out. I’m the first to admit that getting on the floor and playing pretend kitchen or dinosaurs or lions is not what I want to be doing. But child-led play is key to imagination and development at this age. Go to the toy room, and ask your child, “what do you want to play?’ Let them be the guide, and just go along for the ride. Even 20 minutes a day will make a world of a difference. Plus it might help you win the ‘fun parent’ award once and for all, instead of dad.

It’s not a cure-all for the tantrums and the throwing of food and the meltdowns in the middle of Target. But it does help show love and trust and gives your child some self-confidence. Try it.

And when they throw the yogurt in your face ANYWAY, stop, pause, breathe, then react. Remember to be nice to yourself, too. 

Dinner Time Ya'll!

In my head, I’m always thinking about the next meal. I’m a serious foodie and I’m not afraid to admit it. Life is all about the food we eat, really. I’m also always thinking about budgeting and getting the most for my dollar. I try to make meals that will stretch to lunch the next day or even transform into a different meal entirely. I decided, grudgingly, to share this Rogers family favorite with you today. It’s nothing fancy, it doesn’t come with bells or whistles, but then you eat it and you cry happy tears for three straight days.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

You will need:

• Chicken, cubed
• Flour
• S + P
• Buffalo Hot Sauce (I use Frank’s)
• Corn Tortillas
• Toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, Green Onion, Cheese, Ranch Dressing, Avocado

Once you have cubed your chicken, season it with salt and pepper, maybe even some cayenne if you’re really feeling sassy. Coat the chicken with a generous punch of flour. Cook in olive oil. Once cooked, drench in buffalo hot sauce. This is where you can control the heat. If you’re a lightweight, go light, if you’re feeling dangerous, give those babies a bath.

Warm your corn tortillas, and top with all the goodness that is a buffalo chicken taco. I have listed my favorite toppings, but you can let your creative juices flow right about now. The more the merrier, really.

I usually will make extra chicken and save half of it for a buffalo chicken SALAD the next day. Basically all the same yummy, with a different look. Try this one, tonight. Show it off at the next friend dinner. Make it while you’re home alone and eat it all before anyone else can try to have a bite. Whatever your method, I support it. Dig in!

Hi: My name is Mom

I recently moved, and with a move comes new neighbors. I was talking with a cute mom neighbor next door and she said, “so what do you like to do?”. BLANK. My mind literally went blank. I sat in silence for a solid minute before I blurted out, “well, I’m a mom.” Then I felt weird because she just laughed so I followed it up with, “and I like to run. And bake. I like to bake.” While this experience was embarrassing, it also opened my eyes to what in the world had happened to me. Yes, I am a mom. I have two beautiful boys. Their lives are certainly without a doubt, the best part of mine. It’s only natural that the first thing that came to my mind was my children. That part is not what the problem is. Being a mom does not mean that you must give up your passions, your hobbies or yourself. You can be a mom AND a really good baker. You can be a mom AND still find time to go for an evening run. You can be a mom AND still have girl’s nights where you laugh until you pee your pants (if you’re a mom, this shouldn’t be too difficult).

When was the last time you did something for you? When did you put yourself first? I admit, it doesn’t happen as often as I would like, but giving yourself a break to do things you love, that make up the other part of you is important. You deserve to grow in those areas too. And it is okay if being a mom is the first thing that comes to mind when asked what you like to do. Be proud of it. But then have a slew of other things that make you, you.

Makin' Baby Food 101

Homemade baby food. It may sound intimidating, but don’t let it fool you. This is easier than it sounds. Not only is it easy, but it saves you approximately 1 million dollars on canned baby food. And BONUS–it tastes delicious. I would be shocked if I didn’t catch you stealing a bite or two.

All You Will Need:

• Fruit/Veggie (or both!) of choice
• Water/Formula/Breastmilk
• Ice Cube Trays
• Gallon Size Freezer Bags

Are you ready to see how simple the process really is? Let me walk you through it real quick and then I will share with you one of my kid’s favorite recipes.

Choose any fruit or veggie you would like. This is the fun part; feel free to get creative! Remember, this is the time that you are able to actually teach your child to like variety. Don’t shy away from spices, add-ins, and crazy combinations.

Depending on what you are making, you may or may not need to steam the item. Carrots, squash, apples…those all need to be steamed before pureed. If you are in a time crunch, feel free to buy canned veggies or fruit! This saves time and energy! Try to steer clear of the things that are packaged in syrup. That is just a bunch of unnecessary sugar for the wee little tot.

Once steamed, simply plop it all in a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender to get to the correct consistency. As your baby grows, feel free to simply pulse the ingredients to leave more texture in the food.

Spoon mixture into ice cube trays and freeze completely. Store in air tight freezer bags. When the belly starts a rumblin’, just pop those cubes into the microwave and serve! I’m telling you, it is so worth your time and will leave more greens in your wallet.

**1 Cube = Approximately 1 oz.

I hope you find your creative side and discover how oddly fun it is to watch your baby enjoy the food you make!

My kid’s all time favorite recipe is conveniently the EASIEST too!

Pumpkin Banana Spice Puree:

• Banana
• Canned Pumpkin
• All Spice
• Cinnamon

Puree pumpkin and banana until desired consistency. Stir in cinnamon and all spice to taste. Freeze in cubes and serve warm.

This one is basically Fall in a cup and could be considered the baby version of a pumpkin cookie. This will not let you down. And I will not judge you for sneaking a bite or two. In fact, if you don’t, I can’t promise no judging.

Try this out! And dare to be creative in the kitchen and go puree your little heart out! Do a little dance while you’re at it

MomLife

Mother's Day is coming up & it always gets me thinking of my role as a mother.

Lets be honest...there are days where I am not the mother I want to be. I mean entire days where I loose my temper, am just too tired to play dinosaurs, or days I choose to feed Winn mac & cheese for breakfast. And then there are days where I am doing a decent job raising my children. Where I get on the floor and play and have read-a-thons and watch Winn's imagination grow. Is it just me? I hope not.

Wes has brought a whole new chaos into my world. I thought my world was rocked by having Winn...but boy, it had nothin' on Wes' arrival. This time I don't hover over my sleeping child, and wake to every noise made. Wes is actually a perfect little baby. Minus the fact that he demands to be held at least 20 hours a day ;) He sleeps anywhere from 4-7 hours straight at night. He coos and smiles when he hears my voice. He's just heaven. But I would be lying if I said the transition to 2 hasn't been hard. Mostly because I have a heavy heavy heart filled of guilt most days for the lack of attention I am able to give to Winn. Listen, he wants a play mate. He wants me to play cars. And after cars, dinosaurs. After dinosaurs, tag. After tag, hide and seek. See where I'm going? It's just hard to find a balance of making Winn feel so important and give him all of me that he demands, while still also trying to do the same for Wes. I know I've said it before, and I'm gonna say it again--children demand everything from you. They demand every ounce of your being, everything you're made of. And sometimes that becomes overwhelming for me. Somedays I fail at allowing to do that for my kids. I am so grateful that children are so quick to forgive. Even on my worst days, Winn forgives me. He allows me to have ugly and hard days, and loves me all the while. So, thank you Winn, for letting me grow up with you.

It's easy to loose myself in my role as a mother. And when I am asked, "what do you like to do?" it's hard for me to think of things that don't involve my children. But I like it that way. They have made me who I am today. Winn is growing up, learning new things, becoming a friend, finding things he's afraid of, things he is good at and maybe not so great at yet. All the while, I am doing the same.

I was in church last week, and it happened to be a baby blessing. The grandfather giving the blessing said this simple thing and something clicked for me.
"Just 6 short weeks ago, you were in the presence of your Savior. I know that he wept as he sent you here to us."
I am so blessed to have a Savior who trusts me enough to send me my children. He trusts me to teach them to pray, to be an honest friend, to be respectful and polite, and to help plant a seed that hopefully grows into a fierce testimony of His love for them. Yes, some days (more than I want to admit) I fail miserably at this mom business. But my children forgive me for my shortcomings, continue to give me opportunities to overcome those shortcomings and turn my weaknesses into my strengths. My children love me anyway. I am so eternally grateful for a loving Savior who entrusted these beautiful people to little old me. And I am so grateful for children who believe in me day after day. I am soaking it in, every day. I am my children's comforter. When Winn wakes up in the night to a bad dream, I am the name he screams for. When he falls and gets hurts, I am who he searches for to give him a kiss that makes it all better. When he is hungry, I am who he demands his milk and fruit snacks from. Right now, for this little moment of motherhood, I am who he not only needs but who he wants.
My goal is to remember that, and not take it for granted. To remember to allow myself to continue to grow with my children and learn alongside them. To remember that this doesn't last forever, and I am not who Winn will always want. But right now, I am enough. Even when I don't believe I am.


"Every woman in the world was made to be a Mother either physically or spiritually" -Fulton Sheen.

Flooding

I should just copy and paste my entries to each post, cause it is always months in between where I say "gees it has been a while!". 
Lets just skip that part and get into the good stuff. 
First off: baby in ma belly. I'm 25 weeks pregnant, today actually, which is just over 6 months along. I am definitely starting to feel the physical pressure in my lower back and the awesome round ligament pain. Oh and the acid reflux that literally wakes me up at night. Did I say starting to feel? Cause I mean I've been feeling these things for months now ;) Pregnancy is so great isn't it? No, it really is but can I just say it is dang hard! This time around feels heavier. Not literally, but the emotional weight is heavy this time around. I'm trying to keep up with my 2 1/2 year old who loves to play chase, when bending over the tub to wash his hair is getting pretty hard at this point. Most days I would be ok with movies and cuddles all day, and the problem is, is that Winn would be too. Pregnancy the 2nd time around is much more difficult than the first time around. But it is so worth it and so awesome and all the feel goods you can name. 
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: He loves being called that. He is one hilarious dude. When he is around people he doesn't know super well, he doesn't say much and sticks by my side. But if he is comfortable around you, you will get to see the CUTEST personality in town. I'm telling you, he is hilariously weird and incredibly smart. One minute he is demanding 'Netflix on the iPad!' and throwing a tantrum because it's only 7:30am and you have to save the iPad for moments of need, and the next minute he is an inch from your face saying 'You're the best. You are! I love you too". It's like those commercials for sour patch kids. One minute I am near tears because his cries and whining and demands and the next I'm still near tears but because I'm laughing at his jokes or he's saying something incredibly sweet to me that obviously makes me cry (I'm pregnant, gimme a break). 
I think that's the amazingly heavenly sense that kids have. They take everything from you. Every ounce of my energy, my thoughts, my worries, my brain, my heart, goes to Winn. He demands this from me in an innocent and unknowingly fashion that allows me to freely give it to him. I give everything I have, to him. It's weird, because you don't do that for even people you love so much. Like Colt. I love him, like out of this world kind of love, the kind of love where I would literally probably remain on my bathroom floor in a pool of my own tears if I ever had to live without him, but it's somehow different. In return, I am given life lesson after life lesson from things to patience and controlling my temper, to selflessness and pure love. It's the kind of love that I know has to come from Heaven. It's pure, even when it's muddled and fuzzy because it's been a bad day or week or month trying to teach and parent without being the spawn of Satan yourself. That is how I know that motherhood is a literal gift from God. It's pure love, even when there is no possible way to rationalize it. 
I've been struggling to find a balance of a new version of myself (the one that Winn is molding me into) and the old me who needed improvement. If you know me, you know I like order. I like schedules. I like planning and sticker charts and routine. Fine, I'm way OCD guys. It's cute and all until you're a mom. Then you find yourself in a battle with a 2.5 year old who could care less about vacuuming or handprints on the mirror or nap time. Really, I've found myself in these battles for 2.5 years now, but the battle is really with myself. Winn is just the teacher. I'll be honest, my anxiety has gotten way worse since becoming a parent. For example: We just moved Winn into a big boy bed. It's so cute and he looks like a little tiny peanut in the middle of it, but what isn't so cute is training him that he needs to stay in it...my little boy who slept 11 hours in a crib has turned into a kid who sleeps 8-9 hours at night, with multiple wake ups and getting out of bed AT LEAST 20 times before sleep finds him. It's kind of maddening. To me. Not to Winn, cause he thinks it's awesome that he can roam his room, get his boots out of his closet, pile 2981247 stuffed animals onto his bed, come out and run to our room whenever he wants and however many times he wants. Not to Colt, cause he is made of pure gold and nothing can stress that man out. He's all "It's fine! Did you expect it to be easy? It's kind of cute". And I'm all "My heart is racing. I have acid reflux. Was that his door? Did you hear that? I think he's up." It's been a HUGE eye opener for me to realize that these 'problems' in my life are mine alone. It's no big deal to Colt if he gets woken up at 3:00am and misses 2 hours of sleep cause he's comforting Winn. When I get up with Winn, which I've been trying to do most nights so Colt can get sleep for finals, then I'm like dying the whole next day because I missed 2 or 3 hours of sleep. It's dumb. So the fight remains with myself. My need for order demands a lot from me, but so does the little guy who puts the challenge in front of me, night after night. I think it is God's way of teaching me that it's okay if you don't sleep more than 4 hours right now. It's okay if Winn doesn't just put himself to sleep like he did 3 weeks ago. It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. All is well. It's a lesson that I need to be taught over and over again. 
I was thinking the other day that I was so scared to bring another baby into this world. Seeing Winn get pushed or hit when he's playing with friends brings out the mama bear in me, let alone thinking of the dark world I am eventually going to have to send him into. How is anyone suppose to survive the world we live in now? How are kids suppose to have good childhoods without being exposed to the nastiness of our world? As I was worrying (surprise) about this I had this overwhelming feeling that my babies were saved for this time in the world. They were such strong spirits, with such strong testimonies, that God saved them until NOW. God knows they are strong enough to endure the ugliness this world is offering, and apparently I am strong enough to raise my kids to know that about themselves. The spirit comforted my mama heart and made me feel like somehow someway they can endure. 
Just hoping that all my crazy doesn't rub off on my children ;) 

Today, I Write.

Well I've let a lot of life wiz right past me without writing any of the cuteness down. I keep a little journal, it's called Mom's Line a Day, I think I got it from Target before Winn was born. It's been the best little investment ever and I'll never go without it. It's a 5 year journal that lets you write down a few lines from your day. Just a few, your favorite moments of that day. It's worked out real good for me because I obviously can never find the time to write down lots of stuff here on my blog. It's been so fun to be able to write my new happenings for that day and read the ones I wrote a year before. It reminds me how hard babies are when I read my entries that say something like 'Winn finally slept more than 2 hours last night!' or 'Winn can't quite sit up yet, but he's trying!'. It gives me a little push when I need it, cause it reminds me that I can do hard things.
Before I get into the reason I am forcing myself to write today, I want to recap our Disneyland trip! Holy cow, Winn was an angel! Seriously, he exceeded all my OCD mommy expectations! If you know me, you know I'm a scheduler. Winn is a really scheduled baby, who has a bedtime routine and a naptime routine and is all sorts of familiar with routine. It's what helps me be the best mom I can be. I thrive on knowing what comes next (as much as I can being a mom), and honestly naptime and bedtime are something that is 99.9% of the time routine. I decided to throw all caution to the wind (yeah right) and just let Winn experience Disney the way a kid should! He ended up falling asleep in his stroller for naps at the park and staying up hours past his bedtime to watch the fireworks and shows, and he even skipped on bath time! Lets not talk about that part. But seriously, he just ate up Disneyland the way it was meant to be. He ate lots of mac n' cheese, churros and ice cream. He rode all the rides and loved them all. Actually, he hated one ride. The Mater ride in Cars Land. It was a spinning ride, and Colt and I knew he would probably hate it, but we kept saying, "You want to ride this one Winn? You sure?" and he would very strongly reply, "Yes." while nodding his head vigorously. So, ride it he did. And his face was pure terror the entire time until he finally burst into tears. Colt and I were of course laughing hysterically while trying to comfort our screaming child on the ride he just HAD to go on. When we got off he looked and me with such a worried look and said "Why not like it?" (Winn interpretation: Why did I not like it?) It was amazing. Honestly. He waved hi and yelled it too, to every character he passed. Ariel's Seashell ride was his favorite and we rode it the most, just for him. He obviously loved the carousel and kept asking to "Ride horse!". It's funny, every time he says that, he says it with a cowboy slang, like he knows he's suppose to. Since Disney, he has been obsessed with Cars and wants to read his 'Cars books' all day long. First thing in the morning he says Cars books! He says Mater (Mayer), Doc Hudson (Doc Hubby), Sally (Silly) and Lightening Mcqueen (Queen) which also comes with Ka-chow (A-chow). He also loves watching Ariel and asks for it right after he eats his waffles which he demands papa make for him every morning. He pronounces Ariel like (Uhhhl) and says witch all day long in reference to Ursula. He also sings under the sea for me during diaper changes. I tell you, he is one hilarious friend.
I wish I could somehow burn my days into my memory forever, because there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't do something hilarious or naughty or adorable that I tell myself "don't forget this!". He is talking so much now, forming sentences and striking up an attitude. He says 'Ny no like it!" (I don't like it) at least a million times a day, and says "Uh-uh!" too. He is quite the gentlemen though, and will say please, thank you, and you're welcome one right after the other when he wants something. He amazes me. He has the most tender heart and is kind of a wuss (sorry buddy), because he gets his feelings hurt pretty easily. If papa ever tells him no, it's an automatic meltdown. Not the tantrum kind, but the 'I'm so hurt' kind. It's pretty amusing. He asks for 'kikkis' (kisses) at least every hour and gives the good kind. He loves to run and will run up and down the backyard for hours at a time. He loves his mama, and can't stand to be out of my sight. Most days I like it that way. He knows how to work a phone or iPad just as good as me, and can make phone calls all by himself. Seriously, he calls people in my contacts when I don't even know he has my phone, so if you've received random calls from me, it's just Winn thinking he's the king of the hill over here. He is so tall and still pretty hefty, but he's slimming down which makes me sad cause that means he's growing up. He loves to read and loves to tell me he wants to go swimming (knowming) but then when I take him he just wants his toes in the water. He doesn't like to be splashed and therefore hates splash pads. He is obsessed with Mars and Gimmi (our dogs) and has a weird thing about eating their dog food.
He's going to be 2 tomorrow and I've got tears in my eyes just thinking about it!
Winner,
You are 2 years old! Mommy can't hardly believe it. I remember you turning one and mommy going all out for your party, just to have you sleep through half of it, be onery because I woke you up, and then hate your cake. You are the most fun! You make me happier than you will ever know. You have taught me to slow down and take deep breaths, to not sweat the small stuff, and you've shown me what it's like to love unconditionally. I love watching you grow and learn new things. I love your thick wavy hair. I love your 'kikkes' and hugs. I love your contagious laugh. You are my laughing baby! I love the way your cute sturdy body looks in your jammies and how you have to say goodnight to gowa (grandma) and papa before you feel happy to go to sleep. I love how you make sure I'm looking at you when I sing you bedtime songs, and if I'm not, you forcefully put your little tiny hand on my cheek and turn me towards you. I feel like the luckiest lady in the world to be able to raise such a sweet special kid. I am so proud of you for being so smart and curious. Although I hate that your birthday means you are that much closer to being a big kid who doesn't like my kisses and doesn't have to have me in your sight, it is also exciting because I love to watch you explore the world and I love our conversations. You are my light. You are my whole world. You have made me whole. I love you more than you'll ever know. I hope you have a happy birthday buddy!

Whoo, I made it through that one.