See Ya Later...Alligator...

How can an upcoming vacation make you so excited, anxious, and sad all at the same time? Well, that's what happens when you have children! I am so very excited about the opportunity to get away, sleep, relax, read, write...(oh,yeah) and spend some one on one time with my hubby (I've already warned him the other items are very high on my list though! I might just see him at the end of the week & sleep the entire time!).

Regardless, the sad and anxious part kicks in because you wonder how your kids are just ever going to make it with you over the next few days! My mom will be watching the girls. I'm sure she will do a wonderful job and will be very tired by the time we return, yet I am still plagued with this feeling of...hmmm....could it be a brief bout of mommy guilt? I think that's it with a little bit of "supermommy" thrown in there. You know what supermommy is-that feeling where we just have to have our super cape in our back pocket trying to do it all, all the time. Essentially, it is the concept that our kids just will not make it if we aren't there. More importantly, it is the part of our brain that just won't relax even when we have the opportunity. Is there medication for such things?

So, what have I done to get ready for the cruise?

1. 
   
   Written list after list of what to pack, emergency numbers, our itinerary, what the girls need to do each day, where they go, what to feed them...
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Shopped, shopped, and shopped.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Put a lot of clothes out to pack, but I haven't packed ANYTHING. I know...way to wait to the last minute.
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Bought 6 books to read on trip...stayed up LATE last night reading one. I continually told myself to stop reading and save it for the trip, but I was a little excited.
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Talked about everything that I NEED to do before we leave for the trip! (I'm good at this one! Notice I did not say DO anything I NEED to do before the trip!)
   
   
   
6. 
   
   Laundry...until I get distracted. Have you heard that it's a sign of genius if you aren't good at getting laundry and housework completed? Probably not because I made it up, but it sounds good! I would definitely be a genius.
   
   
   
7. 
   
   Procrastinate...you know, like I am now by blogging!
   
   
   

Well, I am not one of those fancy, smancy bloggers that planned way ahead and have posts scheduled to go out on the days that I won't be around! That is one of those things that I thought about doing though!:) I will relax for all of you mommies out there that need a break too! I have lots of fun crafts coming up when I get back. We are super excited about hosting a superbowl party too. I need great ideas that incorporate kids and adults, if you have any! I am sure that there will be great adventures from my Tammy Trip & with my sweet little monsters angels under my mom's care...good luck, mom thanks again, mom!

In a while...crocodile...be back next Tuesday...

Sing & Dance Like No One is Watching...

Don't you wish you could just sing and dance with no inhibitions? I'm sure it feels great. I, however, embarrass myself...even when no one is watching!

It's Monday. Do you need a laugh?    My daughter has just fallen in love with the chipmunks after seeing their sequel or "squeakel". She came home singing the "single ladies" and "you better put a ring on it". Most people think she is saying "singing ladies" so at least they don't think we are jamming out to Beyonce with our three year old all the time! Over the weekend, LaLa told us where to sit so she could have an audience. Then, she went up to her "stage" to perform her song and dance. Everytime I watch it, it just makes me laugh so hard! I hope you enjoy her entertainment just as much as we did! In her world, she's a singing and dancing star!

Enjoy your Monday and the Video.  Take a moment to laugh.

Save Time & Tears! Morning & Bedtime Routines with Picture Cards

Did I mention our crazy morning the other day? That might have something to do with my latest inspiration! No, I have been planning on doing this for a long time. It's probably long overdue! We utilized picture cards a lot in the classroom. It was especially helpful with special needs children to establish routines. See, I knew that time in Special Education classes would pay off one day...just didn't think it would be with my OWN children! I think routines are essential to keep the chaos away! Now, how do you convince a toddler and a preschooler of that? Usually, I would say over and over...we need to do this, did you do that? Hopefully, this is where my nifty morning and bedtime routines will kick in!

I tried to keep it short and simple. By the way, you can't just post them up (even if it is the same thing you do every morning and evening) and think it's going to work. It takes some "home training" as my husband calls it. My girls were so thrilled with the cards...little things make them so excited. If you would like a copy of the documents, just email me and I'll be glad to send it. Then, you can alter them as you need for your children. I did it using Word 2007, I think... See, I'm not tech savvy...so simple was best for me anyway!

This is what you need. Printer, Computer (unless you want to just draw it), glue, scissors, ribbon, glue gun, laminator or pages from photo album. I started to laminate the picture cards. Then, I opted for the pages in the photo album so I could simply slide a different card in and out if our routine changed. I'm all about using what you have and not buying anything extra. If you don't have something, try to be creative!

Cut the photo album pages so you have individual pockets. I printed the pictures out on cardstock and matted them on black cardstock to make them extra sturdy.

Why is it always the last one that gives you trouble?! I'm not a "pre-measurer"! I'm a guesser, and I just sized and cut the cards by guessing what size. You may want to measure to be sure. I didn't have any problems until the last card. I had to cut a bit of the black mat off to get it to fit. You can't notice though!

Okay, this is where I skip steps because my kids were up. I had to work fast to get finished, and I forgot to take pictures. It's simple though! I used ribbon to make a loop at the top and added a sun (made from cardstock) to indicate morning routine. Next, I used a 2 inch piece of ribbon on both sides of the top of the cards to attach them together. I used hot glue on the ribbon to the photo sleeve.

There are other ways to create a routine chart. You could have a flip chart where they are attached by a ring. They would flip the card over once they have completed that task in order to do the next one. I think this would be good with older children. My girls are still young and needed to see start to finish. You could also try a checklist. I had one of these on the dash of my car when I was in high school (so I would remember stuff I needed for school and afterschool activities) thanks to my mom. I thought it was corny...and I would have never admitted it then, but it was actually handy!

Last, I hung them up on each sides of the girls' bathroom mirror. Now, they can follow their routine with visual reminders. Do you know how difficult it was to take a picture without me being in the reflection?! Pretty tricky!

This is the evening routine on the opposite side of the mirror.

Now, on to the rest of the stuff that I keep meaning to do...

The Tiny Morning Terror!

Have you ever dropped your child off at school and either said or thought, "Good Luck!" to the teacher? Well, today was one of those days! I remember parents telling me that phrase as they dropped off their little ones when I was teaching. Usually, the child was wonderful, and I had no idea what the parent was talking about. I think they sometimes just save it all up for their parents. At other times, I thought, "This parent couldn't handle their own child this morning, and now they expect me too???" Wow, how you gain such a different understanding when you cross over to the parent side!

This morning I woke her up with our happy morning song. We were not running late. However, she was determined to make me muster up all my mama energy to just get her out of the door! I'm cold. I'm hot. I'm tired. I don't want to get up. I don't want to go to preschool. I don't want to wear that shirt. Why do I have to wear what everyone else wears? (They have uniforms.) This doesn't feel right. I want to wear pink shoes. I didn't want that for breakfast. I am not hungry. My carseat is cold. The car is hot. My tights itch. My legs are tired of hiding in my tights. I want to wear my hair down. I don't want Little Bit to look at me.
The list goes on and on....

She is usually a morning person and quite excited about preschool, but today was an exception. We have had a difficult time getting back in the routine of things after winter break, especially with other additional breaks of snow days and MLK day. Maybe she didn't sleep well? Maybe she needed a personal day? I don't think kids have that...hmmm...maybe an idea though. Regardless, she was a tiny terror this morning.

In the car ride to school, I said, "LaLa, remember to be good today. Be kind and share. Do what your teacher says. Remember, she will tell me if you aren't a good listener or don't take turns. It will make me so happy if you do your best." LaLa replied, "Mommy, that's just too much to remember for preschool when you're only three." I think she can manage though...especially with a comment like that as a response!

As we walked into school, I was thinking this is not going to be easy to get her to stay. However, she skipped right in, kissed me and Little Bit goodbye, and went off to play as happy as could be!? What happen to the terror that I just shared the morning with?

Well, regardless, I'm not sure how her day will turn out...so, although I said I would never say this when I had children of my own....

good luck to her preschool teacher!

Where Has The Drama Gone?

Oh, don't worry! This mama's drama is still here...just slacking on the blogging scene! It's drama filled and simply wonderful! That is the unexplainable thing about being a mama...the good, the bad, and the ugly is still fantastic because it's with your family!

I am simply blogging today to share updates from our crazy world!

1. We have decided...as of this moment (you know how my brain works) to homeschool the girls next year. I have made a list (actually multiple lists) of ideas and pros and cons. I'm very intimidated and excited. As I was making my lists, the pros and cons were usually the same items! I'll share my crazy, conjured fears and anxieties on another day!

2. We are beating the colds and runny noses going around in our house. I think everyone is feeling better! Let me just say that I am so tired of runny noses! I have figured out a couple of things...Butt Paste or A&D Ointment is perfect to put on sore noses. I also discovered that Highland's products are great. They are homeopathic and have no side effects. Also, cloth diapers are great to wipe noses...my children call them snotty rags, which makes me laugh. Baby wipes are not good to wipe noses. They burn.

3. Crayons and markers should be put up and out of little hands reach. The dogs and children in my life are determined to put the markers in their mouth, write on non-paper items, and/or eat them. Yes, I buy only non toxic everything for this reason. Previously, I thought it would hamper their creativity to put such things out of their reach. Now, I may throw them out the windows...so I opted on just trying to put them out of their reach for now!

4. My husband and I have fun, exciting news that is very rare in our world. First, we are going out on a date...like a real date where you leave your house and without children...this weekend. I am leaving my children with my husband and going to a friend's house to scrapbook this weekend. My scrapbooks have been neglected for several years so I am thrilled...and I hope my house and children survive without me here! The best is still coming. You will never, ever believe it. You will be so jealous. You might hunt me down just to bop me on the head. We are going on a cruise. We are validating it by saying it's for my 30th birthday, his birthday, our Valentines day, and our anniversary present. (I'm thinking maybe he'll forget about it by my birthday and still get me something wonderful! ha-ha) My mom will be watching our girls, and we are going away. My husband is eagerly researching excursions and events on the cruise. I plan to sleep, eat, read, and write...in that order! I will even be able to go potty and shower without little heads peeking in to ask what I am doing! You can only understand the great appreciation of that if you have small children!

5. Last but not least, I have made it a goal of mine to work more consistently on writing. A friend of mine is a great writer. She writes primarily about marriage, couples, and love, which we all need guidance in! She has become a great source of information and encouragement in my quest to be a writer. I have several submissions that I will be working on over the next few months. I am hoping just one gets accepted! I think a lot of times we never try things because we just don't want to fail. However, if we don't try, we will never know! I'm trying to throw out the excuses and FOCUS (oooh...there's my word for 2010 again!). Feel free to keep me accountable! Just drive me crazy until I can finally say that I have done it!

Now, after all of those updates and ramblings, you can probably understand why our mama drama is in high intensity! Since I did not leave you with much inspiration, I will share this link. Click on the different links on the bottom of the post. Be prepared to waste lots of time, make lists of projects you want to try, and be inspired! Good luck!

Focus on that Crazy Love!

When I was getting my doctorate, one of the first classes that I took had each of us decide on a word or mission statement to get us effectively through the process of school. It was a practice that I thought was silly at first, but it has definitely helped me even after I finished school.

What's the love of your life? Where is your focus? I've decided that's my WORD for 2010 is FOCUS. I am an expert on NOT focusing! Let me just take you into a moment of my brain and my world...I start folding clothes. Then, I think, "ooooh, I need to put out meat to thaw out for dinner." Oh, yeah, while I am getting the meat out of the freezer, I think of this wonderful magazine article that describes ways to organize your freezer. I start moving things around in my freezer and make a list of what I need to buy and find for this project. Oh, no, there was a scream...two little girls are wrestling on the floor for a naked baby doll. I become referee for the moment. Suddenly, I realize that I had left my dryer open and the clothes halfway folded. Some little person has placed handfuls of crayons in the dryer as well, which I notice several hours later that I somehow missed one. Was that the phone ringing or the doorbell? Oh well, back to my chaos. Now, I have towels and a sheet with blue wax melted forever on them. This is the way my days go as a mama. I am a professional, self-proclaimed sidetracked mama or a mama with ADHD. My brain runs so quickly of what to do and what needs to be done. I have so many creative things I want to get accomplished, and I have two little cuties that need full attention. So, my word for the year, my focus, and my mission is FOCUS. Focus on what needs to be accomplished (timers and lists really help me), and FOCUS on what is important! I am working on it diligently, but I am continually reminding myself not to forget!

Our Sunday School group is doing a book study on a book called Crazy Love. (12 dollars at Walmart!) It has just reminded me over and over to FOCUS! It has taken me out of my 360 view, which is quite limited and often very selfish. I feel like I am looking at everything from a bird's eye view...when I step back and FOCUS! My husband is even reading the book! He doesn't care to read (I know, isn't that crazy!), but the book is very reader friendly. I  love my crazy life. I love how much I am learning in this season of my life. I feel like my world as a mama is overflowing with blessings. I'm continually intrigued at how hard mamas work to do it all. I'm intrigued and inspired. It's the same crazy love that mamas have for their children that the author of Crazy Love talks about we should have for Jesus.

Check out this video http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos_stop.html. It'll help you FOCUS:).

Saving Money: Movie Night In...Meatballs Anyone?

LaLa does not like any sauce, and our favorite meatball recipe is really saucy so I tried a new recipe.

The recipe was from Kraft. If you email me, I'll be glad to send it!

It was delicious. I included a variety of sauces for dipping.

I haven't posted one of our weekly movie nights lately so I thought there was no time like the present! Our most recent movie night was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Let me just tell you...my husband and I loved it. Our children did their usual routine of watching for a few minutes then run around like crazy little people. It did keep their attention more than most movies. At one point, Robert and I were the only ones watching it, and we were completely laughing out loud. I don't know if it was just cute or if we were just tired by the end of the week! The poor character is an inventor that works and works to make a grand invention, yet he fails time after time. Finally, he prevails and creates (on accident) a food machine for his desperate little town. Food begins falling from the sky! He finds out what happens when you're greedy, what it means to be yourself and to truly accept others, to be a hero to yourself first, to be a friend, and to never give up. This mama does recommend it though for any age!

Poor Little Bit was suffering from a cold during our snow week.

She was so serious about placing those cotton balls on her cloud, and she learned to say cloud!

Who would have thought this focused 17 month old would be licking the glue off the cloud in a few minutes?

We enjoyed meatballs for dinner to go with the theme of the movie. The girls and I also created clouds with paper cut out in cloud shapes and cotton balls. My Little Bit even participated in the craft. She did great on her first cloud. She placed each cotton ball on each glue dot. However, when I gave her a second cloud to do, she immediately licked the glue. Oh well! At least the glue is non toxic! We hung the clouds from our chandelier in our breakfast room, cuddled up under blankets, and enjoyed the movie. For dessert we had Cinnamon Pretzels from Kim and Scott's Gourmet Pretzels....mmmm...good! They were next to nothing a few weeks ago with a coupon at Publix! They were perfect for movie night!

LaLa, of course, loves any craft involving glue. I always put glue on a paper

plate and let her manipulate the glue with a Qtip...less mess!

This kept her occupied while I made dinner! LaLa and Little Bit did get in

a cotton ball snow fight when they finished their craft, but it was fun.

I think all of the snow outside inspired them!

It amazes me week after week how excited my family gets over movie night. I really do not do anything "extra" aside from putting a little extra thought into a "theme" to go with the movie. I realized a long time ago that I go out of my way to serve company and make everything special when we have dinner guests, yet I rarely did anything off routine for my own family. They deserve it to! It definitely makes a fun evening, lots of memories, and uses very little money!

Do you like your husband enough to...

Our dusting of snow is melting in Georgia!

It was a great deal of fun while it was here!

Now, we have no snow & lots of freezing weather!

Goodbye snow!

Hee Hee. You didn't know what I was going to say. I like these husband posts such as this one here. My husband always gets nervous when I write about him. I love it when someone we know comes up to him and asks him a question from something I have written on the blog. See, if he would just read it, then he would know when I wrote about him! Well, I am going to stick to my rule of not writing anything negative about him! However, (again...giggle, giggle) I have to ask, "Do you like your husband enough to....voluntarily spend time with him?"

Yes, I mean a date, and after children it is really...I mean really...difficult to find time to make a date with your husband! Once you add in babysitters, food, planning, and entertainment and so on, you are too tired...and too broke...to really enjoy yourself. Then, you probably sit across from each other talking about your kids! We are all mentally broken. Our minds are short circuited because we become so accustomed to not having dates with one another that when we do...we do not know what to do or how to enjoy it! Now, considering the divorce rate is at 50 percent (that's half...for the non-math people including me!), we have to make ourselves divorce proof! It's way easier to just have the mindset to get through it. However, that seems the quickest way to be living in the same house but going in two different directions.

Part of being a good mama is making sure your marriage is solid...which takes knowing each other and sharing time with one another. This is the hardest part for me in my world. I can focus on my children, but I struggle when I have to focus just on my husband. Where do I find the time? Better yet, where do I find the energy? I do not have the answers, yet I know that it needs to be a priority. If I have extra money...can I just buy something crafty and fun and skip the date. If I have extra time for a date, can I just sleep instead? I am always in need of sleep.

Hmmm...Where are my priorities? Where are yours? When is the last time you have been on a date with your hubby? A real date. You planned it. You looked your best. You focused on each other. Don't ask me...I can't remember! Hopefully, you can! This was one of mine and Robert's New Year's resolutions or family goals...however you want to say it. We did several "date" inspired activities last year in our young married Sunday School class so we knew this was an area we were lacking. We also made finding a babysitter a priority because this is a big deterrent from our date opportunities! Then, I found this blog site. This mom at simply modern mom has made a goal of 52 dates with her husband this year. She even has a nifty section for ideas and a contract. Redbook magazine also featured "Date Nights In" in their most recent issue. Hmmm....is someone trying to tell us something?!;) I was very inpired by the Redbook suggestions because they were date nights that followed all of our rules, yet they were dates that were frugal and did not require actually going out. I think a combination of "date nights in" and special date nights out would be a great scenerio. We altered our plan a bit to incorporate our other marriage resolutions or goals such as being more appreciative of one another and finding creative ways to "express" our love and/or appreciation. It's often easy to forget to appreciate those that are closest to us!

I am trying to consciously make myself find an appreciative comment to my husband...even if he isn't doing it right or as quickly as I would like him to...I need to remember that he is trying! I am trying to focus on us and our relationship...as much as everything else in our world. It really helps that we are alternating planning the dates...that doesn't leave all the planning to one individual. In addition, planning the dates inside rather than not always going out makes you be really creative!

Happy marriage=happy family! I encourage you to make some relationship goals too! Let me know if you have any creative ideas...I can always use them when it's my turn to plan!8)

Baby Blunder!

My three year old, LaLa, recently asked me if we could have another baby. I said maybe she could have one for her birthday...thinking she was requesting a new baby doll. However, she said, "No, mama, not from wal-mart (note to self...I obviously go to wal-mart too often). I want you to get a baby sister or a baby bruder from the cabbages. Make sure to pull it up out of the cabbage to make sure it's a boy one. I probably should get a boy one since I have a sister one already. If you get it mixed up though, it doesn't matter." I just looked at her so confused. Cabbage? Sister? Brother? I respond, "What in the world are you talking about?" "Maaammaaa, you know...." I changed the subject to a subject that I knew she would gravitate to...her birthday. Fortunately, she went for it because I was so confused.

Later, out of nowhere, I remembered! I was so excited that my child wasn't losing her marbles, and I was overjoyed that I figured out what she was talking about. Over New Year's weekend we went to the mountains and visited the Cabbage Patch Babyland in Cleveland, Georgia. It made sense now! My three year old has decided that babies come from cabbages! It took me a few hours, but I finally understood.

I went back to LaLa and told her I understood what she was talking about earlier. I also told her the cabbage patch dolls come from the cabbages not real babies. She looked at me with a serious expression and said, "Mama, let's not even talk about that right now." Then, she ran off to find her sister telling the one year old, "Sorry, it was just mommy. She always has to talk to me!"

Maybe I'll just let her think babies come from cabbages...a bit longer! Next time, she is going to be looking in Publix for cabbages in order to find a baby sister or "bruder"! Oooooh....I'll just tell her we don't have a coupon....maybe next time!

Free Book

Just a quick note...

It's kind of tricky to figure out, but FREE is FREE!:) Who doesn't like free? Let me just warn you...you will drool and begin writing out "honey do" lists after checking out these ideas. On the side bar, there is an offer for a free idea book from kraftmaid. (They even have ideas for craft rooms and to declutter any room!) I searched and search for it....and finally found it! Yeah!
You have to click on request literature.
Next, click on the left button...not the tradespeople side. Yes, this is in Tammy language:).
Last, fill out the form. Your book comes to you! I'm inspired!

All the books are gone! Sorry! They went fast!

Snow Day!

My little snow angel.

Brrrrr....it's cold!
Yes, that's right. It has actually snowed in Georgia. Atlanta is enjoying or suffering through snow. It's kind of funny because people not from the South are shocked to know that we consider "this" snow! LaLa was thrilled that she was able to make the infamous snow angels she has seen cartoon characters do. I love the sweet thoughts that go on inside of her head! She looked up and said, "Mama, I'll bet God is loving to look at all of our angels. I'm glad we could give Him some."

In our little dusting of snow, we did not have enough to make a true snowman. Instead, we had to get quite creative, and we drew a snowman. LaLa finally had the opportunity to use that little carrot she saved from dinner on Wednesday. Her grandmother mentioned that it might snow, and she has held onto that carrot for her snowman's nose ever since!

It still counts as a snowman, right? It was the only solution I could come up with that would satisfy LaLa's snowman need! When you are freezing, you can get pretty creative!

We definitely enjoyed our snow day! Stay warm & have a great weekend! By the way, Little Bit is still feeling yucky, but she is sleeping better...so far!

Having Children Made Me Hear Voices in My Head

My girls on New Year's Eve helping make our special treats. LaLa is wearing her glasses that she made out of pipe cleaners...just be careful that you twist the ends so they won't poke anyone in the eye! I am going to try this idea of molding pipe cleaners into shapes with some letters later on! I think it would be great for fine motor skills and will be a fun way to reinforce letter formations!

Have you ever felt like your eyes needed to literally be held open to stay awake?! I feel like a cartoon where I need to place toothpicks to hold my eyelids from closing shut...and to keep me from snoring in point two seconds! Little Bit woke up a couple nights ago all stuffy. She seems to feel worse at night and is having trouble sleeping. We were up last night from one to six in the morning. We watched Elmo, Barney and Dragontales....a lot...well, let's just say I quit counting after the seventh one! Watching tv and cuddling on the couch all night was what made her happy...when your little one is sick, that is all you worry about!

Now, we are in the phase of being stuffy and runny nose at the same time! She is playing and active as usual, but you can just tell that she doesn't feel well. Then, I begin that mama conversation in my head. You know the one where you are wondering if you should take her into the doctor...but you are analyzing...she has no symptoms other than cold-like, no fever, still active, still eating...if I take her she will be exposed to all kinds of stuff. So,  I decide I won't take her, but then I worry...what if she gets worse later or if it's her ears? All of a sudden, you become a mama and you have random conversations in your head...little voices debating what's best for your child. I think you can be committed for hearing voices?!:) The voices...I mean I voted on lots of TLC and staying warm and inside on this cold day rather than making our trip to the doctor. We'll re-evaluate the symptoms tomorrow and probably have the same conversation in my head! In the meantime, I am going to find some caffeine!

We are hoping for snow in Georgia! At least enough to shut everything down and enjoy a couple "snow days"! In Georgia, we really only need a fourth of an inch for our state to shut down...or maybe even the threat of snow works in some areas! Hopefully, our night will be better tonight....and I will make sense in my next post....me and my voices in my head!

Need Grocery Money? Check out this!

Saving money at the grocery store is not difficult these days with all the help we have out there through wonderful sites like http://www.iheartpublix.com/. She has had 1,000,000 visitors and is celebrating by giving away a 100 gift card to Publix! Today is the last day...so go quick and enter to win!

Good Luck!

Tammy

Save Time! Creative Ideas to Get Your Children to Eat...Sneaky Mama!

Our 2010 New Year Pancakes

Do you know that you can stick just about anything into pancake and waffle mix? No, I am serious! I will often keep organic fruity baby food around (especially when it's on sale and I have a coupon) just to add an extra serving of healthy into my children's food!

Recently, I was caught secretly sliding in some pureed veggies (cauliflower) into mac and cheese. I tried telling LaLa that I was putting some wonderful Tinkerbell Fairy Dust into it to make it yummy, but she had totally caught me. I gave in, and I just told her that I was sneaking in some healthy food into our lunch. She said, "Okay, don't put any of that into mine. Put it into daddy's mac & cheese. It will be so funny! We won't even tell him." She thought it was absolutely hilarious! We all still had the sneaky, healthy veggies in our mac and cheese! Fortunately, I can still outsmart the three year old...well, barely!

Save time...and a battle. It can take a great deal of our time to battle with a toddler or a preschooler about eating their food. Try to avoid these time TRAPS and see if any of these ideas will work for your family!

First of all, if you make the food on their plate look fun, they will usually eat it! Tuna fish, PB&J, chicken salad, grilled cheese or any other sandwich will look mighty tasty if it comes out as a cookie cutted (is that a word?) animal! I even tempt mine by adding M&M eyes. You eat the food...you get the eyeballs. Grose, yes, but it amuses a three year old! So, manipulate the food to look like a happy face or something fun! Also, fun and different spoons or eating utensils also help! Even a new color of a plastic fork can be exciting enough to encourage a few bites!

Second, make it a game. Place a sticker on the plate under the peas...eat the peas to see what is there. Make a big deal out of....oooh, I can almost see the fish hiding under there! We have these plates I found at target for a dollar that are divided and have a different picture on each section. They work perfectly! Another game is to race them. My husband does this...and it used to annoy me, but I figured out that it works. Every mama knows you don't mess with what works if no one is getting harmed! You each take a bite and chew, chew, chew in a race to finish! One more game idea...mix the vegies together and have them sort them...or eat all the carrots first, then the peas, etc. Learning and nutrition mixed in one!

Last of all, sneak it! Put veggies in your spaghetti! Put a little bit into whatever you cook. Be creative and experiment! The baby food basics like apples, bananas, pears, sweet potatoes, peas, etc. are great to have to "sneak" into your food!I do this to my husband and children! It's my job to make sure they get all the veggies and fruits in their diet! Sometimes the best way to save time is to be sneaky and avoid it altogether!

A New Mama Plan: Time, Money, Children

Our New Year's Sign hanging from our breakfast room chandelier welcoming in 2010. I cut these letters out using my Sizzex machine (one of my favorite "toys") LaLa enjoyed glueing them on and trying to 'find' the letter as I made its sound for to put together each word...teachable moment that she didn't even notice! Our sign added a nice, child-friendly addition to our dinner on New Years Eve!

Hello, 2010! Can you believe it is 2010 already? I can't. The New Year always gets me thinking and analyzing everything. I step back and revaluate...maybe a bit too much! We started off the New Year in the mountains of north Georgia in a beautiful cabin nestled between moutains and a small creek. It was relaxing and beautiful...plenty of time for my mind to continue its New Year evaluations. My favorite part of the trip? Well, gettting away to enjoy family, of course, but let me just tell you...the HUGE amazing tub that even heated while you were in it was a close second!

I'm excited about lots of new ideas and plans for my mama drama blog this upcoming year! I figured that we have 365 days ahead of us this year. There are so many opportunities to improve ourselves and make our homes and families happier! The three things (whether we want to admit or not) that we, mamas, worry the most about are usually time, money, and our children. That is what I am going to focus on in my mama world and in my blog because honestly....that is what we all need extra help in especially with the economy and being pulled in multiple directions!

I hope as I experiment, learn, and share new ideas to save money and time as a mama (and as a woman) that it will help you, as well as me, become happier and more able to enjoy my children! I will still share our drama in our house...just for fun...because I know it always makes me feel less crazy and a little more sure of my own mama drama when I can laugh and shake my head at someone elses! Hopefully, our drama will do the same for you!

Mama Plan for 2010...Saving Time and Money...and Enjoying my Children!

This week: Need to get your children to eat? I have cheap, creative, and sneaky ideas! Shhh..don't tell my children...or my husband!