Mom, Are You Cleaning During Naptime?

More from the article in Parents Magazine.

Attention Moms!
#3 Do your chores while your kids are awake. Using up nap-time to wash dishes is truly soul-crushing.

Appreciate the Help
Yesterday I really came to appreciate this. I realized, and may have said before, that the boys really love to help me do anything they can help me with. They are truly wonderful helpful little men. They can't learn to do it right if we don't let them learn.

Magic Cleaning Fairy
If we are doing chores when our children are asleep, they are going to think that there is a magic fairy who comes and cleans the house while they sleep whenever they are asleep...

How does that teach them to pick anything up? How does that teach them how to work?

Satisfaction and Accomplishment
We need to not only let our children see how to keep things tidy and clean, but we also need to allow them to help us do it and give them the satisfaction and accomplishment. :)

Mom: Rest, Relax, Enjoy Nap-time
When your children are sleeping, do something fun for you! Read a book! Join an online nap party! Update your blog, but only if it is fun for you to do! You deserve the few moments to do what you really want.

Our children need our attention... when they are awake
When our children area awake they demand a lot of attention and it is generally exhausting. :) I know you know what I mean. Take a few minutes to relax and regather yourself and make sure they take a nap every day (if they are still in the age)

Melatonin
I am going to admit that I go to the health food store and get a bottle of 1 mg, orange flavored, Melatonin and I break one pill into 6-8 pieces. I give each of them the tiniest amount and they will relax and go to sleep (It really is a tiny, tiny amount that I give them - don't over do it.)

Horror and Terror
I only give this to them when they are obviously not going to lay down and take a nap on their own and I know that they really need a nap to finish the days activities or there will be horror and terror. I really don't like tired meltdowns and I have to have them rested for me to be able to function properly in activities.

Tired Children Don't Have Ears
My children don't listen to me when they are tired. their brains have turned into themselves and they can't hear anything other than the very overstimulated sounds in their head telling them that there is more to be seen and nothing to be heard. ;)

In Conclusion: Cleaning
Conclusion Part 1: Do your chores and cleaning with your children. Don't let them think there is a sleep time fairy that comes and cleans everything magically.

In Conclusion: Super Mom
Conclusion Part2: You deserve to sit down and rest during nap time. Make sure they get a nap and make sure you do what you want for a minute during the day. :) You are super mom and even super mom has to relax to keep being super mom. :)

You Can Do It! Enjoy right now!
Cara :)

Moving...

No matter how long I live my moving will always be a pain.

I decided that after we moved while I was pregnant with twins and I had to just throw everything into boxes as I could. I was going to eventually sort through everything and get it nice and consolidated.

I finally did, but then it came time to purge and sort the baby stuff.

I have high hopes of being able to conceive naturally this time. It took us three and a half years and finally IVF to get the boys. What a blessing. Because of that we have frozen embryos that after we try for at least six months to a year on our own, we will be able to utilize if I am still not functioning properly.

I just say that because I could just get rid of everything and be done with it, but we want more kids. These two are fantastic and I cannot complain about them at all. They are so different and so fantastic. I couldn't' be more blessed. I really want girls to look up to these two amazing big brothers. Oh! They will be good big brothers, to sisters or brothers. :)

So back on track. My entire life seems to have been spent in an extra double wide trailer that we just used to store things... and after we moved while I was pregnant i decided that I was really tired of living my life like that and wanted to consolidate and just keep important and useful things. We have been moving my mom to a different apartment and she has a lot of stuff...

This is where the point of moving comes in. :) She used the analogy of Monk and his brother... I don't' watch that show but I gather from the commercials that he is pretty anal and a minimalist. His brother (so she tells me) is a hoarder. anything and everything that he can keep he does.

If you are going to move... try to minimize a little bit before you ask for people to help you. it is really hard to commit a day and think you will have it done and have an epic adventure in front of you. Be considerate of those you are asking for help from.

I love my mom. I am glad to help and I hope that she can let go of the excess baggage and be content. :)

I don't plan on moving from this house for another couple of years, or at least not until we finally do have more babies (we barely fit here now).

Cara