It seems to be a topic quite often spoke about between myself, and other Mom's/parents: We are always EXHAUSTED!!
Ok, so my kids have both been consistently sleeping through the night for well over a year now (and R turns 2 this weekend), and I've been pretty lucky that they usually sleep 11-12 hours straight through. Once in a while, a hellish encounter of before dawn episodes have occurred, but those, thankfully, are very few and far between.
But WHY does it seem one after procreating can NEVER feel like they're ever fully rested. Even with getting regular 7-8 hours a night myself... I struggle to drag myself out of bed in the morning, to great those OH so bushy-tailed, and bright eyed spawn of mine (ok, they totally didn't get that from either of us... we like to "lounge" lol). Luckily R still has his 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon, although C has stopped napping all together for a year now, it breaks up the day.
So I know that the past days of staying up 'til the crack of dawn, and sleeping until 3 in the afternoon are long gone, but in this zombie state, it feels as though I just might as well stayed up super late, to only wake up an hour or two later with the boys... *yawn*
Or, like the other parents say, I'll have an opportunity to catch up on my Zzz's in approximately 20 years :P
C and R are the direct spawn of chef's. And it shows. Our boys have the most AMAZING, and healthy eating habits. The best part, they LOVE the good stuff. Yes, that's right, my 2 and 3 year old can't get enough fruit and vegetables.
I guess we are pretty lucky, but mind you, my hubby and I have never really given the boys a chance to bat an eye at new foods, or turn their noses up away from something "weird". Both of them scarf down pretty much anything we put in front of them, without an altered step.
Anything brined... give them more.
Pate? Yes please.
Does it smell bad or look bizarre?? Well, if Mommy and Daddy are consuming it- why not?
From the get go, my husband and I have been pretty strict about what gets placed in front of them. Minimal to no sugar (other than of course the naturally occurring sugars) enter their diets. We keep the sodium levels low, and only good fat please. 99% of what they ingest is fresh, and homemade.
I'm very proud of this, and my kids brilliant eating habits show for it. I also believe that one doesn't have to be a "chef" in order for their kids to eat healthy. I'm sure this great start will really benefit when the kids are older.
So when the kids are hungry, and request an apple or other fruit... No problem little dudes... eat as much as you wish :)
This morning the temperature was -30 degrees Celsius. Yes people, that's WITHOUT including any wind-chill factor.
Bundled up with barely just my eyes exposed, my car objected greatly to turning over, but my trusty "Skittle" did as she was asked. Nothing more do I enjoy than scraping windshields in sub-Arctic temperature, waiting for my poor to warm up to a temperature where I don't feel guilty sticking the kids inside.
So we dropped Daddy off at work, and crawled back home on the skating rink known as our city streets. The boys and I remain "cozied" up in our sweats, socks, and slippers. Blankets for all during TV time.
Needless to say, we aren't going anywhere, or outside today... AGAIN. This winter has been a LONG, cold one. Mother Nature had been beyond temperamental... extreme temperature swings from one day to the next, and usually well below seasonal. AND WE ARE GOING CRAZY! (well, I am already there)
Stuck inside, pent up energy building to an outrageously dangerous level, is causing some undesirable behavior- from all parties. We are starting to feel prisoners of our own domain. C told me this morning that he no longer liked snow, and that he wanted to run in his "feety-feets" in the grass. Me too buddy, me too.
Fresh air is, in my mind, essential, for kids. Myself, growing up on a farm, was constantly outdoors as a kid. And it AWESOME! And even though my kids are "city-slickers", I still want them to enjoy as much sunshine and fresh (well, not that fresh, this is a city), air. Most importantly, being able to get OUT burns off all this excess energy that C & R have been storing up for months. Burned off energy equals pleasant and manageable spawn. lol
So, checking the Weather Network for the umpteenth time in the last few days, I'm willing Mother Nature to please be nice. I'm not asking for a heatwave by any means, as it is March, but something decent. Nice enough to spend time outside. Nice enough to let the kids BE KIDS, run around, have fun outside... keep my house clean inside :P
But for today... back to arts and crafts, for how ever long the poor moody attention spans of toddlers allow.
