Mom vs. the Dot: Making it COUNT!

What happens when you tell your child, "Don't touch that!!" Uh huh.  Same with our kids. So early in March, we were soaking in some fresh air and pseudo-sunshine today in effort to beat the winter blahs.  If it's gray and slightly bright, indicating the sun is trying to shine on Western Pennsylvania, it counts.  I decided it was time to clean off my kids' old play kitchen that had been in storage.  Spring might come soon and I wanted to have the kitchen ready for play when that blessed day arrived. That meant turning on the hose (that we left out in the yard all winter - yep - we're those people) and what do you suppose happened?  Well, first hose-shaped ice shot out in 3 to 4 inch pieces, then came a blessed gush of icy cold water.  I rinsed the storage dust off the little kitchen and wiped it down with paper towels. Meanwhile, my hose-crazed 3-year-old came by to investigate.  If he hears anything interesting - a drill, a hammer, or es...

So, the thermometer read 92 degrees outside and it was time. If you look closely, my thermometer says it's over 120 degrees - hmmm...may be time for a new one! After a long, cold winter and an equally long, dreary spring, Here it was.  The perfect day! I secretly hoped to fulfill a challenge given by Andy Stanley while my husband and I were at the Drive Conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago. What would a great mom do? Be a great mom! OK - I can do this!! So embraced the challenge and decided to do something about it.  Step One: I snuck down to the basement and filled up some water balloons, then began constructing a plan.  I'd get out the wading pool, water guns, and who knows what else?  What child doesn't love playing in the water on a blistering-hot day? So, as we ate our afternoon snack, I revealed my awesome plan to my children.  They were so excited that they ran upstairs and put on their swim gear.  Well, one of them did...

  We planned a trip to the zoo today with my sister-in-law and my niece and nephew. With high hopes and a packed lunch, we loaded into the car early in the morning.  As I thought back over the events of the day this evening, I thought,  there are really two ways to tell this story. We left home with 15 extra minutes of fudge time.  After following the zoo's not-so-great directions, I made a wrong turn, had to turn around in some Monroeville mega-traffic, then we wound around unfamiliar roads for a while.  A sweaty-palmed, white-knuckle ride if ever I've had one.  We finally pulled into the zoo 15 minutes late. The weather was gorgeous this morning.  I arrived 15 minutes late to the zoo, but my sis-in-law was patient with me because I often get lost.  We arrived amidst multiple field trips - a bazillion kids were everywhere.  I immediately became super-conscious of the possibility of losing my kids.  We trekked through the...

Overheard conversation between my husband and our three-year-old son: "Why do we go to the dentist?"  Asked my reluctant-to-go-to-the-dentist child. "Because you have teeth," stated my husband. Without waiting for further "why's" (because he knew they were coming), he continued: "If you didn't have teeth, you wouldn't have to go to the dentist,   and if you don't go to the dentist, you won't have teeth." There were no questions after that.  Can you believe it?  If it had been me, I would've spent 10 minutes going back and forth with our boy child, getting nowhere. I love my husband.  I would've tried to sweeten the deal and nice-talk about the dentist,  but my logic-driven husband said the first and most logical thing that came to his mind.  End of story. There is a beauty in the difference between moms and dads, and the way we parent.   I am so thankful that difference exists,  and that ou...

My last visit to the eye doctor, I was accompanied by all three of our kids. I also made many prenatal doctor's appointments with one or two children in tow (however many were outside the womb at the time), because hubby was at work because it was the only way to get it done at the time.  I'm old hat at this.  In fact, I kind of enjoy it. Why? I don't know for sure - but I think it has something to do with being the only person in whichever office we might be visiting that has multiple children in tow.  Now, I know we're not the Duggars, but where we live, people are impressed when you've got all your children hanging off you or walking in a line like little ducks behind you when you enter an office.  I don't do it to impress - one of the reasons I enjoy doing this is that it usually leads to a unique learning experience for at least one of my kids. Take the trip to the eye doctor, for example. I loaded up three activity bags, complete with Leapster...