Where's Bunny?

Last night, I was having dinner with my cousin when Rob called and uttered two terrible words "where's Bunny?" We are now going on 24 hours without any Bunny sightings. For those of you who don't know Bunny, she is my 2 1/2 year old's lovey. She looks alot like a rag, and she goes everywhere with Mary Jane. I know that some kids don't have loveys, but they are big in our house. I once backtracked on a walk for 45 minutes, 2 hours before my sister's wedding in order to find Mason's bear. I realize that I usually do a Bunny-check every 20 minutes or so if we have her out of the house, and yet, she's no where to be found. We have turned the house upside down - we've checked the usual places like the bed, couch, refrigerator, and places that I know Mary Jane would never be able to put her like in high cabinets or under our mattress.

Apparently, we're not the only ones with this particular bunny that is no longer made, I found one on eBay for $140.00. If we find Bunny, maybe we should sell her. I guess the good news is that Mary Jane is sad, but not devastated. I, on the other hand, am heartbroken. I feel like I have let her down by not keeping up with her baby, as she calls her. I was up most of the night sifting through laundry and closets. Who knew that old West Wing episodes came on at 3:00 AM? So, in my sleep deprived state (more so than usual), I offer this daily latte, it's ok to mourn a loss, even that of a small lovey. Be sad for a day, and then move on - if necessary, there's always eBay.

Starting a Business (Part 2)

Ok, I know I haven't been blogging for very long, and it may be a little soon to recycle old blogs, but, here's the latte to go along with this recycled blog - know your technology. Prior to now, I haven't had working links in my entries and I thought it would be nice to include those. Also, here is a follow up, and another business started by a classmate of Rob's from Ohio, I love, love, love my bag from www.amymichellebags.com! It makes me feel like I'm not in a hurry to potty train Mary Jane. Finally, the other business that I mentioned and love, play-2-grow.com, a great place to take a class with a toddler in Atlanta. Now for the recycled blog...

Of course, we would all love to find that perfect business idea that will give us flexibility to do what we love while spending time with our families and making enough money to support everyone at home. I just thought I would take a minute to say good job to a few who have actually had the endurance to make it work. www.stinkykids.com is a t-shirt business started by the mom of kids at our old preschool. I must say that this family has done more than our share to help get the business going. Another one that I have supported a bit is www.darlingmummy.com I love their shirts and I must be a sucker for $25 tees. If you end up shopping with either of them, let them know that you read about them on my blog. If you design and sell expensive tees, let me know, I'll probably buy one. If I were at all artistically inclined, I would design some myself.

The one business that all moms should check out is www.brainytunes.com My brother-in-law is a terrific kid's singer/songwriter. It's worth a listen. If my mom and my sister are still the only ones reading this, then I guess we all know the words to Molly the Moose (my personal fave).

Mix It Up

When I tell my kids that we are going to "mix it up", it usually means that I forgot something or I am running so late that we're going to change our routine to make up the time, but occasionally, I change things around on purpose. A great way to do this is to rotate toys. This works especially well on babies and little kids. I've said before that we have way too much stuff in our house, and lots of that "stuff" is in the form of toys. If we kept all of the toys accessible, our house would be overrun with them and 95% of the toys would go unnoticed. By packing some of the toys away and bringing them back out after a few months, it's like having Christmas several times a year. If your kids are really little, you can actually have Christmas several times a year - open the gifts without your child present so that you can make the necessary thank yous and then save the toys for a rainy day. Just last month we brought out a train set that Mason lost interest in about a year ago, and he had a great time building new trains to run all around the dining room.

You don't even have to have small children to rotate things in and out of use. I always feel a little bit like I've gone shopping when I get my winter clothes out of storage each fall, and I know that my mom loves to rotate her dishes and tablesettings. You can have dinner with her every night for a week and see new things at each meal. So there it is, my latte for the day - Mix it up, and in the spirit of the day, I ordered a green tea chai latte when I went to Starbucks today.

Toys

Pokemon, Bakugan - If this sounds like a foreign language to you, then I'm guessing you don't have a six year old boy living in your house. Bakugans are my first grade son's latest obsession. They are these neat little things with magnets in them that the kids trade and battle with. Mason sleeps with his, sets them up on the table when he eats, you get the picture. Here's the thing, 2 months ago he was just as obsessed with his Pokemon trading cards. He spent days decorating his Pokemon card book. This week he gave that book to his little sister since he isn't into Pokemon anymore.

What latte could I possibly derive from all of this rambling? Don't stock up on anything. In my basement right now there sits a Pokemon game of some sort that I found last month at a consignment sale, and I thought it would make a great Christmas present. I guess I could give it to Charlotte since she is now the owner of all of the cards. It seems like only yesterday that Mason was outgrowing Elmo, Blues Clues, Spiderman, Transformers... One day he'll learn to just stick with what works, and maybe he'll enjoy ordering the same thing from his local coffee shop every day. Until then, I'll wait until December to do the Christmas shopping!

2 year old fun

How do you entertain a very energetic and temperamental 2 year old? It's not always easy if you want to have some fun yourself as well. Since I worked at a preschool every day last year, MJ and I didn't have much time alone together until this fall. Good thing I've taken Filling time with a Preschooler, 101.

Here's what I've learned through the years - classes are fun sometimes, but really only if you are having fun with the other moms. Trust me, I've tried them all - I took Mason to his first Gymboree class when he was 7 months old. We've also tried My Gym, The Little Gym, swimming, and various music classes. The most fun I've had in a class is when several girlfriends and I signed our then 2 year olds up for a class at play-2-grow.com. It's not a franchise and it was great!

Even a great class can be a big commitment both financially and in terms of time. For now, I'm trying to reduce the amount of stress in our lives, and so Mary Jane and I have some mornings when we just go to the park or make a game out of grocery shopping. My stand-by for entertainment is to go to the book store, if there is a free story-time going on, even better. And of course, what 2 year old doesn't love feeling like a big girl and getting a vanilla milk with Mommy who is getting, you guessed it, a daily latte.

It's all about...

not me! As a mom, I'm the queen of trying to multi-task and do 5 things at once while trying to remember what I need to remember to get through each day - lunch, backpacks, snacks, teacher notes, etc. It's overwhelming at times. Here's today's latte - remember that it's not all about you. Stop and listen to what others need.

Every day is hectic for one reason or another, and when something throws a wrench in the schedule like a sick child or daddy, car trouble, bad weather - it's all going to be ok. Don't let your first thought be "how does this affect my needs for the day?" First deal with the problem or illness at hand, ask what you can do to help, and then deal with the logistics. I tend to jump into logistics mode first because it's easier to control at times, but sometimes I just need to stop and offer comfort or support. The groceries, laundry, and dishes will be waiting later. And a little treat from Starbuck might help everyone feel better...

Splurge

That's the latte du jour - splurge! Not on everything, but every now and then moms need to splurge on themselves. Ok, so I know that times are tough and I already splurge on coffee almost daily, but there are a couple of other things that are worth a few extra dollars. Here's the big one that I've found having to do with kids - diaper bags.

After about 2 years of motherhood, I realized that a baby and a diaper bag had really become my only accessories. I spent several years trying to deny the need for a really great bag, but as the babies grew and I needed even more "stuff", I accepted the fact that I need a bag that I could take anywhere. Then I just had to find the right bag. For a while I carried a gardening bag from Target. Lots and lots of exterior pockets make it a good bag to have, but it's not just right. Maybe the key is to have a few bags.

For now, I just placed an order from www.amymichellebags.com (it's co-owned by a classmate of my husband's from high school). I'm hoping that sometime in the next month, we will be a diaper-free household, but it's going to be years (if ever) before I am through carrying a bag whose main contents revolve around snacks, water bottles, wipes, tissues, toys, books, etc. I may as well have a bag that has external cup holders, a waterproof interior, and looks more like a purse than anything I've carried since I became a mother. Maybe it's my first step back into the non-baby world!

Sentimental Attire

When Mason curls up in the den to watch TV, he always uses the same quilt. My mother made the quilt over 20 years ago using fabric from mine and my sisters old dresses. When she gave the quilt to me, I thought it was very sweet and more than a little nostalgic to have proof of all of the things we wore in the mid-70's. Now I have a new appreciation for that quilt. As a mother, sometimes it's really hard to let go of a little dress or T-shirt that has so many memories attached to it.

We are finally having beautiful cooler fall weather here so this morning I spent some time packing away some summer clothes. Charlotte's are easy since if they don't fit her next spring, I'll give them to Mary Jane. But what about the clothes that don't fit anyone? Some I'll consign or give away (consignment will be a blog all its own), but some clothes, like the crib, I'm just not ready to let go of. So here's today's latte - pack them away. If you have the space, it's ok to hold onto them for a little while longer. In a year, you might be ready to give them away, make a quilt out of them, or transfer them to a bigger box with a new batch of clothes containing new memories.

Expectations

I feel as though I spend alot of time trying to figure out how to simplify life for my family. Here's a tip that I read somewhere recently which makes a good weekend latte - take a look at your to-do list for the weekend and then cut it in half. You'll spend less time feeling like you should be doing something more productive, and more time having fun. Face it, your kids' main expectation is to spend time with you and running errands may not be a small child's idea of quality time.

Being flexible helps, too. This morning I thought we would try to make it to church, but when Charlotte appeared in a much too small Ohio State cheerleading uniform and tights, I changed my expectations of what we were going to do this morning. I will admit that Rob & I did drag our kids along for a quick trip to Trader Joes, but then they had plain old play time at our house and had a great time making a secret hide-out under the porch. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the fall in Atlanta.

Sisters

Today my mom and I had a girls day with my girls. Charlotte is recovering from being sick, and it was very rainy so a great day for indoor, girl-friendly activities. You guessed it - pedicures, mall, and lunch. We all had a great time, although Charlotte kept talking about wanting to get or save things for Mason. Mom and I even commented on how great it is that the kids are all so close.

For such a great day, it didn't end quite as well. My cousin called to say that my aunt (my mom's sister) is in the hospital. Being a mother of more than one child gives you a new perspective on sibling relationships as you see them develop for your children. I once said that there is a fine line between a hug and a headlock among siblings. My takeaway from today is a simple latte, call your sister, and if she lives nearby, go out for coffee and a pedi!