Summer Accomplishments, or How I got Nothing Done and Had A Great Time Doing It

I have to be honest, I had an action-packed summer planned, full of pinterest-worthy activities and educational opportunities and tons of other stuff, but it just didn't turn out that way. Life had other plans for me. As of the last week of June, here's what I had planned:

• A Space Camp week, complete with age-appropriate, hands-on activities, adorable snacks (think rocket-shaped fruit pops), and crafts that would make all 3 kids consider becoming astronauts. To be capped off with a trip to liberty science center. (I dedicated a whole entire pinterest board to this, I was so serious)
• Swim lessons every day
• Twice weekly family hikes during which I could teach the kiddies about hiking, orienteering, nature and whatnot
• Trips to local historical points of interest. There are a ton around here.
• Enroll Cua in 3-year-old preschool.
• Summer Reading Program at the Library.
• Sign boys up for soccer.

But guess what we actually did? Well, here's some of it:

• Finished potty training Cua. Finally!
• Went to swim...sometimes. It didn't work out like I had planned. We had some issues that led to me reconsidering preschool for Cua and maybe life in general. He was just not having it, even though Stenni was amazing and a great role model. I'm starting to think that he's just not ready for organized activities, and that's ok. He's got time. But we had fun at the lake anyway.
• Hiked occasionally with no specific itinerary or goal in mind. This was relaxing, and much better than I could have planned. I think the kids got a lot from it. Maybe.
• I won a blue ribbon for these cookies from the state fair (I posted this recipe years ago!). We went to the fair a lot and learned a ton about livestock and agriculture. It was helpful, but hasn't prepared us for all of our chicken-related challenges (see below).
• Lost a few birds to a wild animal of some kind, one outside and one in the coop, within about 12 hours of one another. I'm still not sure what kind of animal did the damage, but I'm guessing it was a fox. But one of the birds was Lemonade, our favorite, who we had raised from about a week old. Some of us are still grieving, hard, and some of us learned a little something about how to shore up a chicken coop a little more thoroughly. Ah, farm life.  
• We actually all did summer reading at the library, and it was amazing! I even joined in this year and read grown-up books. 4 of them!
• Froz started walking! A little late (as in, we already went to the dr, who told us there was nothing wrong, but still started asking around for specialists because he was almost 18 months old late. Dr said he was basically just lazy and big bro and sis did everything for him so he didn't really have to walk), but better than never. We went to the park and played outside a lot to encourage walking and running around.
• I DID NOT sign the boys up for soccer. Maybe I never will. I get the team sports thing, but do the parents really have to suffer? Plus between Cua's absolute refusal to deal with organized activities and the fact that Froz just started walking, I think we'll give it another year (at least).
• Spent a ton of downtime, as I struggled with morning sickness and general exhaustion. Yes, BABY #4 IS ON THE WAY, and I'm more than halfway there at this point. I've used this as an excuse to not get any of my original summer to-do list done.

But now Stenni is back in school, Girl Scouts starts soon, dance starts next week, and everything is getting crazy again. I know that we will eventually fall back into that rhythm for a while, just to be thrown off by Christmas and then a new baby. But it is what it is. I've gotten better at taking things as they come because my plans got torpedoed this summer almost as soon as I made them. I think it worked out better that way.

Back to School Week Wrap-Up

So how'd you do with the whole back to school thing? Better than we did at our house, I hope. Here's my last tip for you guys for back to school week.
Day 5 Tip: Today, just take some time and plan something special for making it through the first week without any major meltdowns, injuries, or crises. It doesn't have to be earth-shattering, just a little out of the ordinary. You can even take requests; the kids'll probably be too tired after their jam-packed week to ask for anything crazy like skydiving or cross-country skiing, and maybe you'll just end up renting a movie and making popcorn or something. After Stenni and I finished grocery shopping for the week ahead (with plenty of easy meal items, like oatmeal bars and yogurt cups, thrown into the cart for good measure), we came home and I did Stenni's nails, neon pink with green polka dots. Whatevs, she's 3. Later after nap time, we are going to take the dog for a walk and come home and bake for a little bit. She told me she wants tortellini for dinner, so tortellini it is. A special day for a special girl who made it through a special week.
Next week Stenni goes to school all 3 days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so that we can go on the special field trip to the apple orchard with her class), instead of just 2, and one of the days I have to go with her...maybe I get a special day next week?

Back to School Week Day 4

Day 4 Tip:  Take a few minutes today to reassess and possibly re-organize your routine. Now you know what the first few days have been like so take a minute to look at your individual situation. Is everything working out? Do you need to adjust wake-up times, nap times, meal times or bedtimes? Were you missing some important school supplies? Have your meals been good and easy enough? Have you been having trouble keeping everything together with the new schedule? See what needs adjusting, and give yourself a little time at the end of the week to do just that. This might sound like common sense, but once we create schedules, it's sometimes hard to admit when they aren't working like we think they should. Just simply tweaking them, instead of throwing the whole thing out the window, is usually all that they need.
Case in point: We have had to make some minor changes this week. Due to road construction, we had to take the longer way to Stenni's preschool, and that takes a few more minutes than we had bargained for, so we adjusted our departure time just a little bit. Also, she's a really slow eater...like 45 minutes for a bowl of cereal slow, and forget real food, that takes forever. So in the future we will try to get up a few minutes earlier so no one feels super-rushed, and stick with less elaborate breakfasts.

Sorry that this post didn't actually make it up in time for the real Day 4 of Back to School Week. I was not feeling great and kind of dilly-dallying during the day. Then due to a crazy heavy rainstorm, we kept losing power at the house on and off. And when the power did come back? Sorry, I was following the story on the news about the Seaside Park boardwalk burning to the ground. My family vacations there every year, about half a block from the boardwalk. The news crews were actually filming from the parking lot next to the house we rent. It's so devastating to think that it's really all gone. Everything that was saved from the storm last year is now completely wiped out, and that includes so many landmarks from my childhood, and now Stenni's as well. It won't ever be the same. 8-9 blocks of boardwalk, as well as what was left of the pier, are just gone, taking over 50 businesses with them. Like Kupper's Fries. Like Berkeley Sweet Shop. Like Park Seafood. And saddest of all, like the carousel that my parents took me on, that Hubs and I take Stenni on, and that she had already planned to take Cuatro on. So just keep the people from Seaside Park and Seaside Heights in your thoughts and prayers. They've been through so much, and this is just adding insult to injury.

It might be a terrible-quality picture, but it's the last one I'll ever get of Stenni (and her Papa) on that carousel on the boardwalk in Seaside, and I'm so glad that I have it.

Back to School Week Day 3: Take 10

Day 3 Tip: Dude, you're halfway through the week. Take a breather. I know that you can't realistically take 2 hours for yourself, so take 10 to 20 minutes instead. For real, you've earned it.

Here are some suggestions as to what to do with yourself for 10 minutes:

• Take a walk around the block, or exercise whatever way you want, just get your blood flowing!
• Shower. And shave your legs. 
• Take a few deep breaths and do a sun salutation without a kid punching you in the butt as soon as you bend over. 
• Stop at Dunkies or Starbucks (or my personal favorite, Quick Chek) and get a cup of coffee if you've got a few extra bucks in your pocket.
• Look up whether or not Joseph Gordon-Levitt actually has that weird accent that he uses in the Don Jon movie trailer. It's a really bad "Jersey" accent; I don't remember it from 3rd Rock from the Sun and he was born in LA so it probably isn't real. (Can you tell how I used my time?) 

And then here are some thing you shouldn't do:  

• Try to tackle any major home improvement or organization projects. It'll be easier to start those later, once you've got a kids-in-school groove going.
• Clean the house the whole time the kids are gone. A speed-clean will do just fine, thank you.
• Get on the computer and surf aimlessly for hours. It's a time-suck, and it'll just prevent you from doing anything for yourself.
• Worry about what is going on in the school. They're in capable hands. 

So get out there and do that! Quit reading and jog or something! Just remember to set your timer, otherwise it's easy to forget that you might have other crappy grown-up stuff to do as well.

Back-to-School Week Day 2

So it's the second day of back-to-school week over here, and even though Stenni doesn't have school today (she's only going on Monday and Wednesday, so far), it's still on my mind. So here's my you've -heard-it-before, painfully practical tip for day 2. 

Day 2 Tip: Plan meals in advance, at least for the first few weeks. Plan what you'll have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (at least have a rough idea). Because your new school schedule will take some adjusting to, don't assume that you'll have oodles of time to plan and prep dinner while the kiddos are not home. You probably won't. Keep it simple with minimal prep. When I know I'll be pressed for time, I like to stick with quick and easy things like pastas (I'm a huge fan of the whole wheat pastas and I always have a bag of homemade frozen vegetable sauce in the basement freezer; it doesn't even get easier than that) and basic rice dishes such as jambalaya. Also if you have a crockpot, use it. It helps. 
Start thinking about what you want to eat for the week, and shop accordingly. Keep easy meals and snacks, like granola, fruit bars, cut fruit, yogurt, hot and cold cereals, steamable frozen veggies, and even frozen waffles around the house. I've seen too many meal plans start out with good intentions and then end up turning people into martyrs when they can't allow for changes in their situations. It makes it easier to go with the flow when you have a back-up plan that you don't feel guilty about because it's still marginally healthy and low-effort.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: keep it simple, but don't neglect nutrition. We really like Van's whole grain waffles at our house because they're easy and quick, and I don't always feel like dragging out a waffle iron. Waffles with peanut butter and raisins is an old standby at our house. I'm not always a big fan of "convenience foods" but don't totally rule out using mixes on occasion. If you can find a good complete pancake/waffle mix (again, whole grains are nice, but take what you can get!), make pancakes with fruit or veggies added in. Adding quick oats, apple juice, apple sauce and cinnamon to complete pancake mix equals apple crumble pancakes, which are a huge hit around here (berry pancakes are well-loved too)! And it doesn't hurt to make a few extras in advance to freeze and use when you need them. But seriously, never underestimate the add-ins: things like ground flaxseed, fruits, oats, juices, fruit pulps and that sort of thing can really up the nutritional value of a simple meal, and add some flavor without too much extra effort.
Meals for kiddos shouldn't be a struggle, even if you don't have a ton of time. A little advance planning goes a long way.

So here is our get-out-the-door-on-time breakfast menu for this week: 
Monday: Jack-o-lantern pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes (add apple juice and pumpkin puree to complete pancake mix, throw in a few chocolate chips, shape like a pumpkin and make a face out of the rest of the chocolate chips)
Tuesday: Peanut butter cheerios with milk and a banana
Wednesday: Whole grain waffle (yes, the frozen kind) with peanut butter or hazlenut spread and raisins, apple sauce
Thursday: Egg over easy in a pepper "flower" (just cut the pepper so that it still retains the ring shape, then cook the egg inside), pepper slices and wheat toast
Friday: Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins (hopefully Stenni and I will have the time to make them together on Thursday afternoon!)

If you need some great recipes, check out  http://www.parents.com/recipes/ or Allrecipes' Back-to-School page.

The Awkward Mom: Back to School Week!

So look, it's back to school time. Some parents are out there doing the happy dance. Me? I'm not one of them. If you follow the blog, you know how I feel about school: Overall, I'm not a fan. I think that in most cases, it kills creativity and original thought, and in all cases, it teaches you silly things like having to stand in line and ask someone else if you can have permission to use the bathroom. Not cool. So overall, Hubs and I do plan to homeschool, starting before 1st grade (or maybe even kindergarten). I mean, we've been kinda doing it already, like, since Stenni was born, and around us, that's really when all of the homeschool groups and activities start. But here's the thing: so far, she hasn't had too many opportunities for socialization with kids her own age. Adults? Yep. Older family members (like ages 5-10)? Oh you betcha! But outside of the gym babysitting room, she hadn't had too much interaction with the 2-4 year old set. And you know what? I think she kinda needs it. Also, I want her to have a little bit of her own thing going on when Cuatro gets here, because I think it'll be nice for her to be able to stick to a familiar routine somewhat.

But with that in mind, when we looked at preschools, we asked certain questions and avoided others. We looked at safety, security, background checks, teacher-to-student ratios, activities, facilities, play areas, and things like that. Curriculum? No, we avoided that. We do that stuff at home. I'm also glad that when we met the teacher, who has her degree in Early Childhood education and is working towards another one from my husband's alma mater, she was dressed casually and had a few facial piercings. You know, like mom and dad. I feel like if she had a really stuffy, buttoned-up school marm-ish type, that she'd be more uncomfortable. I just felt like it was a really cool place that I'd like to go to school, and it met all of our needs and wants. So off she went, and today was her first day. To be honest? It broke my heart a little bit, but I know that it's probably what's best for her, and she was pretty psyched. If you'd liketo know just how psyched, see below:

My little girl's "getting ready for school" face. Nice, huh?

Stenni and Papa in the front of the school. You can't see Mama, because she's holding the camera and choking back sobs. Just kidding. Kind of.

So, in honor of Stenni's first day, I'm kicking off The Awkward Mom's Back to School week. Check back during the week for tips, tricks, and suggestions to make your transition a little smoother than mine!

Tip #1: Organize everything the night before. I mean everything. Clothes for the kid, clothes for you, socks, shoes, underwear, the whole nine yards, and make sure that you try them on, too. While Stenni's outfit was perfect, I had a dress that fit me 2 weeks ago suddenly not fit (growing baby and all that), and it kind of torpedoed my whole morning. Ouch. Plan what you'll eat for breakfast. Pack the backpack. Make sure all forms are signed. Check the weather to see if anyone needs a sweater or coat. All of it, do it the night before. It will make everything run that much more smoothly in the morning, when you could be pressed for time anyway. Since Hubs usually goes to work about the time I wake up, I am used to packing lunch and setting up the coffee the night before, so all he has to do is hit the switch on the coffeemaker and grab a sandwich from the fridge, but planning for us too was kind of new! At any rate, build 15 extra minutes into your schedule so that you won't be 15 minutes late if anything arises!  

What are some tricks that help you get organized for back-to-school time?