I don't proofread my posts before I publish them... cause I keep my thoughts au naturale.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Review: Dex DayDreamer Sleeper for Babies

My adorable son giving it a try!
Wow... wow... like seriously, wow.  When my gratis sleeper arrived from the UPS guy, I opened it quickly and boom- my jaw dropped!!!  This has to be one of the coolest things I've ever reviewed!!  The theory behind this product is that moms can enjoy some quiet, calm, stress-free time while baby naps near them in plain view.  Baby gets to enjoy the super soft, safe comfort that the DayDreamer offers!  By being able to keep an eye on baby, there's no need for the annoying fuzz of the monitor or constantly looking at the camera (if you have one) to see if baby is moving around.  This provides extremely safe and effective sleep time!

The fabric is heavenly soft.  It's that silky kind of plush feel that feels smooth and fantastic.  I have a throw like it and my kids each have full size blankets with the material, so clearly it's a great feeling to have surrounding you, well, your lucky baby.

The DayDreamer comes in 3 colors.
Now for the specs:
"Busy moms everywhere can now give their babies the benefits of soft, snug, perfectly-inclined sleep anywhere with the DayDreamer Sleeper. Designed by an infant product specialist and 20 years in the making, DayDreamer’s innovative features include a 28-degree incline that provides a perfect, restful position with a soft, breathable cover that prevents baby from overheating.  Fully-compliant with federal law and Consumer Products Safety Council proposed standards, the DayDreamer Sleeper features a flat base and high sidewalls that offer maximum stability and protection.  The DayDreamer is also doctor-endorsed: “I would definitely recommend [the DayDreamer Sleeper] to new parents. I suggest infants sleep at an incline to help prevent plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) as well as alleviate reflux, congestion and colic symptoms” – Dr. Jamison Foster, General Surgeon."

I can't recommend this enough!  It may seem like it is a bit on the pricey side, but for the months of use you can get out of it and the peace of mind of having your baby in full view during nap time is totally worth it!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

My name isn't mom and la la la la, I can't hear you!

You ever had one of those "mom wants to blow her brains out" days?  (Figuratively, of course, cause if you literally have, you might wanna get some help for that.)  Well, today is one of those days.

I'm such a good mom that my kids won't leave me alone.

Mom
Mom
Mom
Mom
Mom
Mom
Mom
Mom

Now multiply that times 1000 and that's probably how many times I hear this every day... multiplied by three kids, plus what I'm sure my 6 month old is babbling that equals "mom."  It's like, seriously, you know you have a Dad too, right?  He can do the same things as I can and is more than willing to, but for some reason, Mom's lap is more comfortable, Mom's chest looks like it's more fun to wipe snot on, Mom must be a better nose wiper, Mom looks like a better target to throw toys at... ugh.  It's not that my kids are bad kids, but apparently they think I enjoy their affection.  I appreciate it, sure, but could I live without it here and there?  Sure.  I mean, fast forward to their teens and I'm sure they will hate me plenty.  And it's not that I wait on my kids hand and foot or they are spoiled (can you really spoil a baby?)  The older two are quite willing and capable of doing a lot of things.  Now that my daughter can get her own cereal or breakfast, I've reached a point where I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Then there's the fussing.  I've always said a child fussing/whining is like nails on a chalkboard.  Seriously?  What's it gonna accomplish other than the whole blowing the brains out thing?  Sometimes, I just want them to stfu.  Go ahead, judge me for saying that, but seriously, Kid, stfu.  Like when my toddler wakes up before he should have from his nap, cause you know, he'd miss out on some huge event if he stays asleep.  He fusses... and fusses... and screams... and fusses... and screams, on end, for like 20 minutes.  Nothing appeases him.  Well, after last night's lack of sleep, the migraine I had from the lack of sleep, not eating today cause nothing sounded good, and not getting any type of break this weekend, I was just trying to get some pinning done for a bit and the toddler wakes up screaming.  My husband tries to appease him, but it doesn't work.  They go in the living room (which has one of those big open wall spaces so you can see into the kitchen) and I'm at the table at the computer... and he's screaming, so I put my head down and silently cry because I'm up to my eyeballs with stress and all that is left is the short space from my eyeballs to the top of my head.  My husband tells me to go lie in the bedroom, but what good would that do me?  I'd still hear him.

Alas, I found a solution.  Here I sit, blogging, with headphones in and cranked up so high I can't hear anything but my iTunes playlist.  Luckily my husband feels sorry for me and instead of being pissed, looks like he feels like he wants to cry cause he feels so bad for me.  I'll take it... and here's to a possible future solution for when that brain blowing out thing hits me again.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Things My Dad Taught Me

My dad taught me many valuable lessons by proxy, but I still felt free to be who I wanted to be and have therefore become quite a different person than him in terms of life views and personalities, but that doesn't mean I didn't pick up a few things during the two decades I lived at home.

1) The value of a dollar: we were never given an allowance.  We got money at birthdays and Christmas from our relatives and were expected to make that money stretch over the year for thinks we might want.  I don't remember every caring too much about that.  But, occasionally I would want money for something and ask for ways to earn it, to which my mom would generally give me a list to choose from of a chore and its payment... like $2 to vacuum the whole house.  We might earn a quarter for raking the yard or a dollar per bucket of digging up dandelions by the root, but that just taught me growing up not to be completely frivolous with my money because it only goes so far.

2) Don't be afraid of manual labor: my dad did construction, yard work, fixed things and was very hands on about keeping our house and yard looking amazing.  He didn't hire people to do the hard stuff, he did it himself.  This kind of goes along with the value of a dollar thing too, because why pay someone to do something when you can do it yourself.  Then that money can be spent better elsewhere.

3) Don't turn your kids into ungrateful assholes: now this was a lesson it took longer to understand because kids are generally inherently selfish.  We were expected to help out with no reward.  You have kids who get an allowance for throwing away their kleenex when they blow their nose.  What is that teaching them?  I had friends whose parents would just shell out twenty bucks anytime they wanted to go to the movies, even when those parents didn't have a lot of expendable money.  Then in turn, their kids were ungrateful assholes.  Every spring my parents planted a garden.  They had four kids to feed and understood the value of a dollar (duh), so they planted fruits and vegetables.  However, they both taught summer school, so often my brothers and I were told to go pick beans or what not.  Also, as we got older, we were responsible for trimming the hedges, etc. with the push mower and my dad would mow with the riding mower.  We didn't get paid with cash for these services, we got paid through food and lodging and clothes... sure as a kid it might have seemed unfair (I don't recall feeling this way, but maybe I did), but why should they fork over their hard earned money so that we would do things that we should help do anyway.

4) Don't let people get away with embarrassing you: my parents are proud people and as well they should be.  They worked very very hard for what they have and for the respect that people in their community have for them.  One thing that my dad made very clear is that he did not want us to be embarrassments to him.  Sure, that's a hard thing to do when you're a kid and again, kids are inherently selfish, but as an adult I've come to realize how important respect is.  I've known women whose husbands cheated on them and being as how I came from a small town, EVERYONE knew.  I'm not a believer in forgive and forget when it comes to adultery, so that would most certainly not fly with me.  But there are other things that wouldn't fly with me in regards to what my spouse and children might get away with in public.  I didn't work hard for the things I wanted and or have just so that those I love can make me look like a dumb dumb head to the public.

5) Your kids aren't first in line for the tv: I used to go over to my ex-in-laws house and their TV was on the Disney Channel 24/7 because their youngest wanted to watch it.  This went on from when she was a kid until she went to college.  The parents would just sit in the living room and watch it with her.  WHAT??  That would have never flown with my dad.  There was a pecking order to who was in charge of the remote and it went oldest to youngest.  And with me being the youngest, the only times I generally picked what I wanted to watch was on Saturday mornings before anyone got up.

I have quite a few friends who let their kids control the living room remote.  That doesn't fly with me, especially since they have TVs in their own room or there are other TVs in the house.  I don't pay the cable bill so that I can watch Teen Titans Go on DVR for hours on end.  I didn't become an adult so that I could waste my time being subjected to hearing Adventure Time in the background while I cook or do dishes... that's my Golden Girls in the background time!

6) Men CAN cook: Don't be one of those chauvinists who think men can't and shouldn't cook because it's a woman's job.  Welcome to 2014, and good luck with your future relationships if you think that way.  My dad is an AWESOME cook.  He worked a full time job and still came home and made dinner for 6 every night.  It wasn't just grilling either, it was utilizing every cooking appliance in the kitchen.  I had a best friend whose husband was a good cook, but refused because it was a "woman's job."  So, they ate pizza a lot and their fridge was filled with hot dogs.  I always wanted to marry a man that can cook.  I didn't, but at least my husband WILL cook.  He tries.  It doesn't bother me that he can't cause I know not every guy out there is good at everything.  But I did make sure I found a husband who didn't believe that there were "men's jobs" and "women's jobs."  He feels like all chores are created equal. 

Conclusion:  I have many other lessons I can list, but if I did, Father's Day would be over before you had a chance to read them all.  These are just the ones that stick out the most with me as a parent.  I do think that my approach is quite different than my Dad's was, but that goes along with having different personalities.  Clearly he did something right if I find these to be lessons that I have adopted as a parent.  I have no problem telling my kids no because I want to raise them to be good people and I've witnessed first hand things that other parents have done that turned their kids into giant d-bags.

SOOOOOO, Happy Father's Day to my dad and despite the fact it never seems like I listened, I actually WAS paying attention!  Thanks for the help!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Summer vacation is soooo not a vacation for parents!!

Whether you're a work-at-home parent, a stay-at-home parents, a teacher, someone who works off shifts, you are going to find yourself home during those hours that were joyous while your children were at school that have now become a three month prison sentence.

I'm sure some of you will roll your eyes at this post or ask if I bought balloons for my pity party, but hey... quit reading then.  But those of you that can commiserate, read on.

As a mother of four, with my two oldest being in school, there's no such thing as a break on days I'm not working.  I'm home alone with the kids until my husband gets off work, then school lets out and the older two come home.  It's a lot easier with another person to help, so it's great that he's always home during non-school hours. 

But then summer hits...  my 8 year old daughter is hit or miss.  Some days she will be a happy bundle of helpfulness, other days she is crabby, keeps to herself or is mean to everyone.  Then there's the 6 year old.  He will tell me about every half hour that he is either bored or hungry.  He craves attention of any kind, but he actually wants it from his sister.  Which if she's in a good mood, she will play with him all day, if not, he has to entertain himself.  This is apparently something he seems to be incapable of.  So, he harasses me ALL DAY.

Then of course, there's the toddler and baby, which I do believe the toddler to be Satan's Devil Baby, so that just adds to the heap of annoyingness that is the plight of someone stuck at home with these kids who are out for the summer.  I don't have a problem sending them outside to play when it's not 100 or 90 and humid.  I just don't let just one of them go out by themselves.  Then of course, unless there is a neighbor kid willing to play, nothing is "fun."  They have bikes, scooters, balls, chalk, bubbles... for what?  Apparently to collect dust.

And it is quite difficult for me to take four kids of those ages anywhere by myself.  So of course when the hubby gets home, we can tag team the kids, but until then it is me, myself and I... home alone with four kids and minimal nerves available to be gotten on.  Some lucky parents send their kids to daycare or camps, but when your income relies on times when school is in session, I don't have the luxury of daycares or day camps (not that I would send the youngest two to daycare anyway.)

So, if at some point this summer I just stop blogging altogether and you never hear a peep again... don't assume I'm dead... just call around to the mental hospitals in my area and find out how you can send me flowers.