The After School Hustle

This post is sponsored by Pepperidge Farm but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

This is it folks. The final countdown. May, June, SUMMER. We are so close!! We can do this! Somewhere between the projects, end of the year parties, sports championships ... everything starts to feel a little more stressful than usual. Not that the late afternoon and evening hours are ever NOT stressful. They don't call them the witching hours for nothing! At our house those few precious hours between the last school bell and the last bedtime story is nothing short of NUTS. Sound familiar? We've gotten into a sort-of routine, and I thought I'd share what it looks like for us, in case any of these tips might help you too!

1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. The minute my kid is in bed I'm already getting set up for the next day. Packing lunches, snacks, signing forms, setting out clothes, and just making sure everything in general is ready for the next day. This helps our morning go smoothly, and when our morning goes smoothly the rest of our day tends to follow suit. I also use this time to prepare anything that can be done ahead of time for the following days dinner. This leaves less prep work to do during those stressful evening hours.

2. Keep Snacks on Hand. When I'm packing the night before I'm sure to also pack some snacks. If little man gets hungry, he gets CRANKY. Nothing will derail your night faster than a cranky kid. I like to pre-portion snacks into snack cups or ziploc bags and keep them stashed in my purse. That way they're available on the drive home from school, while waiting at sports practices, etc. Goldfish are one of our favorite snacks because they're made with real cheese, have no artificial flavors or preservatives, and I know they won't spoil dinner. I like snack cups for the car because my son is pretty prone to spilling things out of ziploc bags. Having to clean up a mess in the car just adds one more thing to your already full to-do list.

3. Multi-Task. This helps get more things done faster. Snacks can 100% be done while kids complete homework. Flash cards can get practiced while they dress for activities. I like to get my kiddo settled with a snack and his homework and then get started on dinner while he's occupied. If he finishes, I send him to start getting dressed for his evening activities or put him to work helping with dinner. Many hands make light work!

4. Everything in it's place. One of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given is to have a designated spot for homework with all the tools they need so your little darling isn't wasting time wandering around the house looking for scissors, glue, a sharpened pencil, or anything else they may need. It's also helpful to stash anything they need for clubs, sports, or activities in one spot so that when you send them to get dressed they know just where to go to find everything. This will help you avoid those "MOM! I can't find __________________!!!!" while you're in the middle of helping another kid with homework, feeding the dogs, washing vegetables, or whatever else you need to get done.

5. Keep a routine. When you have a good routine in place your kids can anticipate how the evening is going to go and can be more independent. For us, that looks like a healthy snack (like fruit, yogurt, or Goldfish crackers) and homework while mommy makes dinner, followed by dressing for evening activities, dinner, then off to swimming or church. Once we get home it's bath, story, and then into bed. Since he knows what comes next Jacob is more helpful and able to complete some tasks on his own to help hurry us along. Once he's in bed I get started preparing things for the next day. (see #1)

For more on-the-go survival tips check out the Goldfish Pinterest page HERE. There are SO many helpful ideas there! And to learn more about Goldfish Colors, check out the Goldfish Colors page HERE. Goldfish Colors are also made from real cheese, have no artificial flavors, and the colors are sourced from plants! Happy moms + happy kids = win/win for everyone!

Spring Break Faves: Momma Edition

It's been a while since I've shared a round up of our favorite things, and since I've got spring break on the brain (3 days and counting!!) I thought I'd share a few of the things I'm swooning over. Most of these have made their way into my online shopping cart this past week and as you can tell, I'm loving rose gold for spring. We're headed to the beach again this year, but we're super excited to explore a new island we've never been to here in our home state. Check back on Thursday, as I'm rounding up my faves for little man too! Who's headed somewhere exciting for spring break?? Do you prefer low-key relaxation or high-energy adventure?? 

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE // SIX  

SEVEN // EIGHT // NINE

Fostering Independence in Preschoolers

Oh the 3's. It's such a trying age isn't it? We're trying so hard to navigate these uncharted waters with grace and patience, but goodness is it hard. Jacob has such a big personality  for someone so small. He wants to do everything and nothing himself all at once. Things he really still needs support with (like washing out his Baby Dove shampoo) he wants desperately to do alone, and things he should be capable of doing independently (like putting on his shoes) he wants us to do for him. The struggle is real. There's a lot of whining, fussing, and tears these days as he figures out exactly who he is and what he's capable of. But there is also quite a bit of clapping, cheers, and smiles when he (and we!) realize just how much he can accomplish! 

We want nothing more than to send him off to Pre-k next year independent and capable of functioning appropriately in a 4 year old classroom. It's so tough to not automatically do everything for them. It gets done so much faster that way and we can still view them as our "babies" who need us. But slowly we're realizing that all he learns when we do something for him, is that we do it better. So despite those "Mom! I need you!'s" 50 times an hour, we're slowing down and making sure he learns to do it without us, the way he'll have to at school. 

We try to foster his Independence in a few ways, the first being to offer choices. Offering choices (usually two) lets Jacob feel like he's in charge without us losing control. He gets to feel like he's the one calling the shots, without it being a free for all. Instead of letting him choose what he'd like to do (play ipad or watch tv all day) we present him with two choices: would you like to go for a walk outside or play a board game inside? Would you like to go to the park or the zoo? This is also a great tactic for getting him to do what we need him to do. We'll ask him "Do you want to sit in the front or back of the cart?" instead of letting him cry that he doesn't want to ride in the cart at all. If I offer him a nap alongside what I want him to do, we will always pick what I want him to do. "Do you want to help me pick up the mess you made or take a nap?" Do you want to read quietly with me for a little bit or take a nap?" 

The second way we work on independence is to teach a new skill and from that point on have him complete the task. If he requires some extra guidance and reminders, that's fine. But ultimately the job is up to him. Here are just a few of the things he's responsible for every day: 

1. Brushing his teeth

2. Putting on his shoes (he still struggles with clothes)

3. Carrying his lunch box and water bottle

4. Putting away any toys he takes out 

5. Cleaning up any messes including sweeping and vacuuming 

6. Putting dirty clothes in the hamper

7. Going potty 

8. Washing his own body and hair 

9. Picking out his bedtime story

Getting dressed and washing are the two that he still struggles with a bit.  He isn't picky about clothes so at this point I still pick them out - since he'll have to wear a uniform next year this seems to be a good way to avoid clothing battles when the time comes. He's getting better at his pants and underwear since he's been potty trained for nearly two years, but getting his arms in and out of his shirt and his head through the right hole is a hot mess, so we still help with that. 

We also still go back behind him when he's bathing to double check. I'll usually wet down his hair and body and then let him squirt out the shampoo and lather it all over himself and his hair before I rinse it all out. I've long been a fan of Dove products and their new baby line is no exception. The Rich Moisture Tip-to-Toe Wash is mild so I don't have to worry if it gets in his eyes, and it leaves his hair so soft and smelling amazing. 

Before bed we let him smooth on their Rich Moisture lotion as well to keep his skin soft and moisturized. (So important in the winter!) He's gotten pretty good at that himself, and likes to use it on us too! 

You can sign up with Baby Dove for coupons, articles and tips! How do you help your little ones explore their independence? 

Transitioning to a Toddler Bed

Once upon a time, Jacob turned 3 and we started talking about moving him out of his crib. Or rather, we started talking about taking the front panel off his crib to make it into a toddler bed. Then we shelved the idea for 7 months. He was happy in there, we reasoned. Loved the security of four panels around him and never tried to climb out or play in there. Plus, it might make things a lot harder at night. What if he didn't like having one side of his bed open to the room and had trouble falling asleep or was scared? Maybe, once he realized he could get out of bed, he wouldn't sleep through the night anymore. He might get up 37 times to come back out. (He's cheeky enough to try that, we could totally see it happening.) So we left his crib how it was and didn't give it another thought. 

Then, he passed 3.5 and something started happening. Slowly, then all at once it seemed other kids his age (and younger) were transitioning to toddler and big kid beds and it was all over my social media feeds. I figured it was as good a time as any to take the leap, at least I'd have other moms to commiserate with. So one Sunday, while Dan was at work, I got out the tool bag and took the front off the crib. And you know what..... bedtime has been totally fine ever since. Here's how it all went down.... 

The day I took the crib apart we made a trip to the store and picked up a toddler bed rail, new toddler bedding picked out by Jacob, and we picked up 10 prizes and some stickers. We kept the prizes small, but all things Jacob was super interested in to keep him motivated. I got to work on the computer and made an incentive chart (I got this idea from a friend and it worked like a charm!). Then, I let Jacob help me get everything ready. He handed me the tools as I took the front panel off the crib. He helped me make up the bed with his new bedding. He watched me wrap all the prizes, and he sat diligently and listened as I explained the chart. For each night that he went to sleep and stayed in bed without crying or getting out of bed at night he would get to put a sticker on his chart in the morning and open a prize. 

The first night went off without a hitch. He went to sleep right away (no longer napping helps with that a lot!) and stayed asleep all night in his bed. He was beyond thrilled (as were we) to put a sticker on his chart and open a prize. He felt and shook each prize until he knew was the one that had the playdough kit we had picked out. 

The second night we ran into our first (and only) small hiccup. Jacob had fallen asleep on the couch before dinner and had a hard time falling asleep. He tossed and turned for a while then sat up and threw his blankie out of the bed. I was watching on our monitor the whole time (I always do until he falls asleep) and made the decision to go in and get it, rather than risk him getting out of bed to get it. After giving it back to him we immediately amended the rules: no crying, no getting out of bed, and no throwing things out of bed. And every night has gone swimmingly since! Last night was his 10th night, so we'll see how he does without the promise of prizes. If we need too, we may continue just the sticker chart portion. 

You can grab the one I made (in both girl and boy colors) by clicking on the picture below: 

Good luck Mommas, you got this! 

Christmas 2017

Whew. I'm a little bit amazed. (sad? surprised?) that the holidays have already come and gone. Every year I say we are going to cut back and simplify and every year the gifts seem to multiply before my eyes. Without fail, there is always one gift that gets forgotten or misplaced and doesn't get opened until after New Years. It's been a pair of pajamas for Jacob the last two years. I guess you can't win them all. Jacob got quite a few educational toys this year to keep his busy mind active as well as books and board games which are my favorite gifts because he never gets tired of them. 

The weeks leading up to Christmas are always a blur, since I'm always teaching right up until the end. We appreciate the extra time off it gives us together after New Years, but my, it does make fitting in traditions and fun tough. Somehow we squeezed in there cookie making and decorating, gingerbread houses, and lights. 

On Christmas eve Jacob covered the lawn in the magical reindeer food he had made at school, and left out some of the cookies he had decorated for Santa. Once he was fast asleep we put out all the gifts we had wrapped (I was diligent about wrapping as we bought so that we wouldn't have to spend Christmas Eve wrapping) and then relaxed on the couch with some hot cocoa and a Christmas movie. 

On Christmas we enjoy a lazy morning at home. Daddy was up before everyone and started the oven for the cinnamon rolls I had made from scratch the night before. When Jacob woke he discovered his tool bench from Santa, opened his stocking and then ate breakfast. Once everyone had as many cinnamon rolls and mugs of hot chocolate as they could possibly hold we opened all the gifts. We try to make a point to not rush and enjoy the moment and this year we were forced to take things extra slow. It took twice as long with Jacob scanning every present looking for the letters J-a-c-o-b to see if it was for him or not. 

Once all the presents were opened we let the mess linger for a little while we soaked in each other and one by one explored new toys and books. After lunch it was off to the grandparents for even more gifts and dinner and then we were off to the airport and headed for snow! 

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."

- Andy Rooney

Maybe next year we'll actually get a family picture of Christmas! Hope you all had the most magical holiday friends and that you really stopped to enjoy the moment. They are only little for so long!! 

IRMA

Whew. We finally have some internet so I can share the last few days with you. What a whirl wind, literally. 

Tuesday was a blur, I dropped Jacob off for his first day of pre-school with minimal tears and then headed into work a little late. Everyone was buzzing about the hurricane, but nothing official had been decided. I left work Tuesday unsure whether we would have school the rest of the week, since the largest hurricane ever recorded was quickly spinning towards us. One the way home I heard on the radio that the two counties south of us had cancelled school for Thursday and Friday, and I figured we would probably follow suit. By the time I got home, we had. Dan and I quickly booked a flight for Jacob and I to Michigan, since going through a category 4 or 5 with a young child sounded horrific. It wasn't without challenges, since nearly every flight out of the state was sold out. We finally found one leaving from Orlando (2 1/2 hours away) on Thursday around noon. 

I taught half a class on Wednesday, securing my classroom before leaving. Dan put up our shutters while I was at work and by the time I got home on Wednesday Irma had weakened a little and our anxiety about the Orlando flight was growing. We would have to leave in the middle of the night that night, as soon as Dan got off work. Even if I drove there, he would have to drive home on no sleep. If we ran into traffic we could miss the flight, and if we didn't I would be stuck at the airport with Jacob for nearly 10 hours. When we sat down and assessed the situation we realized we were both more worried about the Orlando flight than the storm itself. So we cancelled it just under 24 hours after we made it, getting a full refund. Dan went to work Wednesday night and it began to sink in to me that we'd be staying here and riding out a major storm with Jacob. Storm anxiety is one thing, but momma storm anxiety is a whole nother ballgame. I began to worry immediately that we'd made the wrong choice and that this would be stressful and scary for Jacob. I ordered some supplies from Amazon prime (that would never arrive) and went to bed that night with a heavy and anxious heart. 

Thankfully we stayed plenty busy on Thursday, so I didn't have a chance to fret over my fears. We made last minute runs to pick up more batteries, candles, food, and water. We filled up our cars with gas and filled our propane tank. Jacob fell asleep in the car, which unfortunately meant no nap, complicating things further. By this point Irma had shifted further east, putting our little city in her direct path. She was holding steady as a category 4 and we prayed with all we had that she would shift and weaken over Cuba. 

Friday morning we moved everything we had outside inside, including Jacob's toys and a bunch of furniture. I cleaned and organized to keep my mind off things. Mid-morning we began the large task of cleaning out and organizing our garage and by some small miracle we got my car in there, which let us move Dan's over away from the tree in our front yard. We wanted to be sure we had at least one safe vehicle if we needed to leave after the storm. Our power went out that night, but thankfully it was just a glitch in the grid and two hours later it was back on. We gave Jacob a bath that night then scrubbed his tub and filled it with extra water. We put him to bed in his room and prayed he'd sleep well since the next few nights would be uncertain. Irma had shifted west by this point, looking to make landfall on the west coast, instead of the east. We were breathing just a tad bit easier. Keep in mind, she was massive - bigger than the state, so we were all going to feel her effects no matter where she made landfall. 

Saturday morning we sent a pile of extra sheets, pillows, and blankets over to the local high school they were using as a shelter, after they put out a request saying many senior citizens had showed up with nothing but the clothes on their backs. We'd received more kindnesses than we could count in those days leading up to the storm, and we thought if we could repay it in any way, we should. Curfew started at 3pm and I put on a few Sesame Street episodes for Jacob about a hurricane hitting Sesame Street. It helped lead a really good discussion with him about what was going to happen and what our plan was going to be as a family. I believe it is so important to have these conversations with kids, as hard as they are, so they aren't caught unaware. We had dinner hiding out in the bathroom during a tornado warning and watched the weather channel, and then we put Jacob to bed in his pack and play in the living room, next to the couches where we slept. He was super wired and excited about our living room sleepover and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that by 11:30 we resorted to children's benadryl to help him fall asleep. The wind was loud that night, but nothing compared to what was to  come. 

Sunday morning we woke up after a solid 8 hour sleep and discovered we'd slept right through two tornado warnings. The power was still on, but we knew it would only get worse, so we got to work. Dan cooked up breakfast while I cleaned out the storage space under our stairs for any other tornado warnings. We continued to watch the storm coverage on tv while Jacob played with his toys. The tree out front had lost a big branch, but so far there was no major damage. In between rain and wind bands we would let the dogs out and get some fresh air. Shortly before lunch the power went out and the worst of the storm blew in. The wind was louder than I had ever heard it and one tornado warning after another came beeping through our radio sending us dashing for the storage space under the stairs. It was super cramped in there, but we hung a flashlight for light and gave Jacob one of our old phones, charged up and loaded with games to keep him busy. Dan and I both read until the warnings were over. 

In between all the tornado warnings we kept Jacob as busy as possible. I had picked up three board games aimed at young kids (Count your Chickens, PJ Masks Matching, and Disney Surprise Slides) and we taught Jacob how to play. Besides board games we also let him watch a movie on our portable DVD player. Dan had cooked up lunch before the power went out, but we ate dinner in the dark while we listened to the wind and the rain. By mid afternoon it started to get super hot and everyone was getting irritable. We somehow managed to get Jacob down for a nap and  during a break in the storm we discovered that another large chunk of our tree had fallen onto Dan's car. There didn't appear to be major damage, but we would have to wait until the storm passed to be sure. 

Shortly before we were about to get beds set back up in the living room and go to sleep, the power came back on. It was a relief, but it came with it's own set of challenges. Due to the extreme shift in pressure, our smoke detectors wouldn't stop going off. They were louder than any part of the storm and I felt certain I would rather be without power than listen to them. Ironically the only thing that got them to stop was to open the front door and let air in - not exactly what you want to be doing during a hurricane. It was almost comical. The alarm would go off, we would open the door a bit and it would stop immediately. As soon as we shut the door, it would stop beeping again. Finally we rigged our box fan up on top of Jacob's wagon so it was aimed right at the detector that was causing us so much grief and it stopped. We spent another hot night sleeping in the living room waiting for the house to cool back down and listening to the wind. 

By Monday morning the worst of the storm had passed and while we still got some wind and rain bands in patches, it was otherwise nice outside and we were able to get out and survey the damage. Dan worked hard with a neighbor to get the branches off his car and cut up, and we got everything that had been brought inside back outside. Jacob was pretty enamored with the fallen tree, he was convinced it was a troll tree and was searching for trolls inside. We were able to cook up an actual meal for dinner, which was a welcome change after eating hurricane snacks for a day. 

To say we were relieved would be the biggest understatement of the year. We've seen the footage from the Keys and the west coast and we know that just a few days ago that catastrophic damage was forecast for us. We were able to get out and about today, and came across many downed power lines and stop lights that weren't working. But really, it could have been SO much worse. We purchased a big tub to store all our supplies in, because we know this won't be the last hurricane we weather together.

A huge thank you to everyone who prayed for us and kept us in your thoughts as we braved this monster. We're grateful more than you may ever know.