Mommy Milestones

The Elf on the Shelf answers a question

Mommy Milestones — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:44:00 GMT

Christmas in one of those holidays that brings up a lot of questions and even more excitement. It is a time of year to believe and hope, take a leap of faith and trust, give freely for the sake of giving and rejoice in that which we have and will receive.

As the mom of 2 young boys, I am blessed to see Christmas through their tiny eyes and huge hearts. I get to experience the bright lights in our neighborhood with elation and joy, I sing songs even if I don’t know the words, I bake cookies and eat advent chocolates, and best of all I get to share in the hopes and wishes of my young boys and they dream about presents and Santa.

Last year Boo did not understand Christmas, Santa or any of the holiday decorations and AJ was afraid of a man coming into our home while he slept. We spent a lot of time driving through neighborhoods looking for the best lights and decorations because, before Christmas Day, that seemed to be the best part of Christmas.

We have already begun the search for the coolest holiday house and might have already found it 2 blocks away. AJ is excited for Santa to come and has been making his list for months. Boo caught on quickly and stops me whenever a commercial comes on and says, "Me too, Shrismas lis, me too!" I acknowledge the toy that he wants and tell him that I will make sure and put it on his list.

Boo is not yet afraid of Santa but we have not gone to visit him and sit on his lap yet, he may change his tune but since AJ is so excited it might be fine to tell a man in a red suit all of the presents that would be wonderful to get this year.

We have watched a few holiday movies and AJ has begun to ask how Santa knows who has been naughty or nice. One explanation was a magic snowball made from Christmas snow and another was a giant computer system that tracked every child. Neither seemed reasonable to AJ and he wanted to know how Santa made his list and how he checked it twice.

Just as we began to derive possible solutions, a friend called with the answer. Low and behold an Elf on the Shelf would come to each house and watch over the children. He would stay all day long and keep track of the good little boys and girls and let Santa know about the naughty behaviors. He would use his magic to go to the North Pole each night and return in the morning. He would go from room to room each night as he watched over the family. On Christmas Eve he would make his final report and Santa would know who was naughty or nice.

AJ was shocked that Santa could send an elf to each home and that they had special magic to travel so fast. But, after all, Santa does make a trip to each home on Christmas Eve so why couldn’t the elf on the shelf make a trip to the North Pole each night?

He and Boo listened to the story and wondered if an elf was in their home too. We looked and we looked and finally found him sitting on top of the kitchen cabinet looking down at our dinner table. "There he is!" exclaimed AJ and Boo jumped with glee as we found our own elf watching us eat.

Now the boys are on their best behavior because our little elf is watching and AJ is happy to finally know how Santa knows who is naughty or nice. Plus, it is a little extra help to keep the sometimes overzealous boys "nice" during the hectic and exciting holiday season.

You can get your own Elf on the Shelf for your home. I looked online at www.elfontheshelf.com and found it at a nearby store. The elf comes with a book about the tradition, letting your child know why the elf is so special. We read it at night and are trying to come up with the best elf name for our new found friend.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Favorite November Memories - Photos

Mommy Milestones — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:41:00 GMT

Another wonderful month!

Happy Thanksgiving and I wish you a joyous holiday season!

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Walk in someone else's shoes?

Mommy Milestones — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:26:00 GMT

The old saying "do not judge someone unless you have walked in their shoes" has lost a bit of meaning on a 4 year old.

AJ met someone that is considered a special needs child. I am not sure what that means with regards to this child but he seems to blurt things out and appears disruptive if you do not know the situation.

At first AJ thought that he was very rude and had bad manners. I asked him not to judge the boy because he did not learn or act the same way as AJ and might be a little behind in age.

AJ looked confused and told me that the boy was older than he was and just did not learn his manners right. So, we sat down and had a talk about judging people and that we can not know what they have gone through unless we have walked in their shoes.

AJ looked puzzled and asked why he would ever walk in someone else’s shoes? Did it make a difference in how they acted or how he would see them? What would walking in their shoes do to him?

I tried to explain that it was a way of saying that you never know what someone has been through and judging them is not fair.

I asked him if he wanted someone to judge him because when they met him he happened to be in time out. They might judge him as being difficult, bad mannered and rude because his mommy had to put him in time out when in reality it was a just moment of not listening that put him there.

He agreed that it was not fair to judge him that way and realized that he might not know the whole story. He still does not understand the shoe analogy but does understand that judging others is unfair.

The moral of the story got through and I learned that some analogies don’t make a lot of sense when you look at them through the eyes of a literal thinking 4 year old boy.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Home on the range, where Opa and his horses roam...

Mommy Milestones — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:51:00 GMT

Our boys are pretty lucky because they have an Opa (Grandpa) with a horse, actually 2 horses, 5 llamas, 3 dogs and 3 cats. We do not get up to Opa’s house very often but when we do the boys love to go horseback riding and feed the llamas.

Recently AJ had a board breaking class for Karate up North so we decided to make a day of it and go see Opa (Joe’s Dad). The last time that we went, the boys rode a Llama and this time it was the older horse named Faith.

I did not ride any of the animals but I did make friends with a black llama named Yolanda. She was so pretty with her long eyelashes and mouth that looked like she was smiling all of the time.

Opa and Marie said that Llamas tend to get closer to children than adults and were surprised that Yolanda took such a liking to me. She came very close and stood nose to nose with me. I had gotten my first Llama kiss. I had never been that close to a Llama before and it was kind of cool.

The boys loved horseback riding. Boo did not remember riding the Llama and was so excited to get up in the saddle. I know that as the boys get older they will enjoy the horses and Llamas more and begin to learn what it means to be a real cowboy. Their Daddy grew up in Texas and used to go roping so I am sure that some of the cowboy blood made it into them and they will love the rodeo too.

Here are a few of the photos of the boys as they ride off into the sunset.

Off to Make another Mommy Milestone.

Gifts for the Holidays – FREE - definitely in any budget!

Mommy Milestones — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:59:00 GMT

Thank you VistaPrint.com for offering so many free gifts for the holiday season! I needed return labels for our Christmas cards and stumbled upon VistaPrint. They had really cute labels with caricatures of each family member. I got to create the images of all of us, including the dogs, with the option of candy canes, Santa hats or an Angel’s halo.

http://www.vistaprint.com/christmas-caricature-0.aspx?xnav=LeftItem&xnid=HolidayCardsCalendars&dng=1090149

The best part about the labels was that 140 were free, yes completely free; all that I paid for was shipping.

The products, ease of ordering and customer service were awesome. The labels arrived within 5 days and were perfect. I also received an email telling me about other free offers, I know, it is all marketing but hey, it worked!

They offer a free long or short sleeve t-shirt with your design or one of theirs. You can make a t-shirt with the caricature that was made for the address labels or upload a photo and add a caption. It is pretty neat and did I mention that it is FREE?

http://www.vistaprint.com/t-shirts.aspx?xnav=LeftItem&xnid=HomeFamily&dng=1061561

Some of the other free products were: a baseball hat, a poster calendar, 100 postcards, 250 business cards and other business related items like a web site. I was impressed with how easy it was and more importantly the price – shipping only!

Since we are cutting back on our expenditures this year and I am totally into personal gifts, I ordered a long sleeve t-shirt, a baseball hat, and a poster calendar. All great gifts at a price that we can definitely afford!

I hope that you can find something that fits into your Holiday too!

http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/ns/studio3.aspx?pf_id=641&combo_id=82952&gallery_id=301&category_id=16164&referer=http%3a%2f%2fwww.vistaprint.com%2ft-shirts.aspx%3fxnav%3dLeftItem%26xnid%3dHomeFamily%26dng%3d1061561

Have fun!

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Mommy Milestones — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:31:00 GMT

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day. The boys were so excited to spend the day and Grandma and Grandpa’s house, eat turkey and watch more holiday movies.

AJ had been talking about Thanksgiving every night before bed for about a week and was glad to finally get to tell everyone "I Love You! Happy Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my family." He said it when he woke up, when he saw Grandma and Grandpa and as a prayer for dinner. He smiled a big smile as he said it and it made my heart smile too.

It was a small group this year, really small, like a normal get together that happens at least once a week. It was my Mom, Dad, Joe, AJ, Boo and Me. That’s it; my immediate family was all that could come this year. In some ways I was glad to have a day that was mellow and without schedule but I felt bad that Joe did not have any of his family around and for my parents because my brother did not come.

At one point my heart broke for my Mom. She sat looking at the boys and smiling at the joy that they had but yet a tear came down as she thought about he own son, my brother, who is an alcoholic and could not participate in the holiday. She was torn between happiness with the grandkids and memories of her own son. It was heart wrenching and sad but I have learned over the years that I can not change another person's decisions and they still hurt the ones that love them the most.

I know that I would go through the same pain and heart ache if it were one of my sons but can not help but wish that she could find some peace about it all. Unfortunately a parent loves their child unconditionally no matter how much pain they cause you and you pray for a miracle when times seem bleak.

I used to get angry with my brother, not for what he was doing to himself but for what he was doing to my parents. The pain and suffering that they experienced was unfair but he was not thinking of them and they can not stop thinking about him. It’s a horrible circle that was painful to watch but as I grew into an adult, with my own family and children, I began to understand that life may not always seem fair but if we can learn from what we experience and grow we will have new and better experiences to follow. I pray that he can find a way to learn from all of this and have a life to live and if not I pray that my parents can find peace in it all.

Tonight as I lay in bed I am grateful for all that I have; my wonderful loving husband, my precious boys, my parents, family, and our blessed lives.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Holiday Movie Favorites – Old movies in a new way

Mommy Milestones — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:04:00 GMT

I remember looking forward to watching the special holiday movies. My mom would look in the TV guide every week to see when they would be on and we would plan our dinner around TV trays and holiday movies.

They were so special because we only got to see them once a year. We did not have TIVO, a VCR or DVD. TV specials were events that if you missed them were over until next year.

My kids don’t understand the concept of waiting, watching a movie only once or even the need for a TV guide. On Demand rules our home and AJ is confused when he can not pause an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to go to the bathroom.

He owns most of the movies that he likes to watch and we rarely go to the theater to see a movie, we usually wait until it comes out on DVD. It is a different way of living, movies at the theater cost as much per person as the DVD and watching a movie only once seems silly.

I had a glimpse of holidays past as my mom called to tell me that that the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special was going to be on tonight. She knows that we do not own it yet and how much I loved to watch it as a child. I missed the Great Pumpkin at Halloween but have already watched Frosty, Rudolph and the Grinch and it is not even Thanksgiving yet.

I plan to sit in front of the TV tonight and reminisce about my childhood as I enjoy the commercials that I usually overlook. The 30 minute movie will last an hour and my boys will learn about Snoopy, Woodstock and the Red Baron.

Times have changed so much and I am grateful for DVDs, On Demand and our wonderful lifestyle but I am excited and filled with anticipation about a night like those in my past, a night all about family, being grateful and enjoying each others company.

I thank my parents for making these movies seem so important and the love that I still feel when I watch them. Tonight Charlie Brown will express his gratitude and the meaning of Thanksgiving. I too am grateful and looking forward to Thanksgiving and a weekend of family, food and fun!

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Oh how the photos have changed!

Mommy Milestones — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:48:00 GMT

I came across a disk from my honeymoon and had to laugh at how different the photos from 7-1/2 years ago are from those taken today. Back then my photos were all about us, where we were, what we were doing - us, us, us.

We took them of ourselves or had other people take them for us but we were together in almost every shot.

Now, I look through photos and see pictures of the boys, Joe and the boys, me and the boys; boys, boys, boys but rarely a shot of just Joe and I. Oh how times have changed.

We have family shots but no longer have many shot of just us. I guess that goes to show that our focus went from me and Joe to us as a family and how proud we are of our kids.

I looked back through the albums and saw photo after photo of us in a seemingly standard pose, so much in love. Now I look and we still seem posed, as a family, just as much in love with each other as ever and with our kids too.

Here are a few photos from our honeymoon and 1 that was taken about 2 weeks ago, a night out without the boys.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Family of 4? Make that 5??

Mommy Milestones — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:26:00 GMT

My kids have an amazing way of bringing up topics that are on my mind even when I do not bring them up myself.

We were on our way home from school and AJ told me that he wished that we had a bigger family. I had been asking him how his day was and out the blue came, "I want another brother and sister to play with."

I asked him what he meant and he said that he wanted 10 people in our family. So I began to reason with him, we have more than 10 people in our family, there are Mommy and Daddy, AJ and Boo, Sidney, Duke and Blue; there are also Grandma and Grandpa, Opa and Marie, Grandma Kathy, Uncle…AJ cut me off and said,"But they don’t live with me, I want 10 people in my house."

I was quick on my feet, "We have 7, Mommy, Daddy, You, Boo, Sidney, Duke,…" again he cut me off, "dogs don’t count! I want 10 people in my house." Then he paused and said, "even if dogs do count, we only have 7 now we still need 3 more to get to 10." I could kick myself for helping him understand basic math. He looked at his hands and quickly knew that 7 + 3 = 10 and we were still 3 short if the dogs count as people.

Damn those counting bears and flash cards!

I had no rebuttal to his logic and said the mom response, "We’ll see honey." I even knew that it sounded lame but had not decided whether to have another baby or not and was not about to make that decision in the car with my son on the way home from preschool.

Joe and I had decided to wait until the end of the year to talk about making it 3 or staying with 2. I had been thinking a lot about it lately and AJ had come right out and put it in my face to think about some more. He seemed to want an answer too and was rooting for a sibling.

I can’t help but think that my kids are in tune with my inner most thoughts and know when to bring something up that will spur an epiphany.

I mean really, considering the layout of our home and the current financial situation it seemed strange to think about adding a baby. However, as Joe said, it would not happen right away. Even if we got pregnant tomorrow it would still be a long time until we would need a room for the baby or buy diapers.

By then Boo would be potty trained, AJ would be in Kindergarten and Joe would be overly employed.

Going for 2 kids was a much easier decision because I did not know what I was in for and once I had him I asked myself the question "what was I thinking" during the first few months after Boo was born. Now, 2 years later, life is a lot easier, I have more freedom, sleep more (barring the teething episodes) and am beginning to think about what I want to be when I grow up. I know exactly what I would experience and can ask myself "what am I thinking" before even getting pregnant.

Even though the downsides are obvious, it is hard to make a decision because the upsides of another child go so far beyond any down. A baby is a blessing and a gift that changes your life. Plus, AJ really wants a much larger family and he might get one more sibling.

As the end of the year comes and we start to discuss our options my 39th birthday rapidly approaches. I always told Joe that I did not want to be mid 40’s having a baby. That narrowed our window of opportunity dramatically but it is not quite closed yet. Only time will tell is we will stay a family of 4 or try to become a family of 5.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Eureka! I finally figured it out - Teething!!!

Mommy Milestones — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:20:00 GMT

Sleepless nights, a grumpy boy, severely runny nose, and yes, a ton of drool; NO it was not the fear of a ghost or being awoken during the night, it was 2 year old molars rearing their ugly heads during the wee hours of the morning, 1 a.m. to be exact.

Thank God! An answer had finally arrived and at least I felt better about the options than I did with a ghost or monster. Our friend the singing frog had done his job and brought pleasant dreams when Boo slept, now we were resorting to Oragel and Calms to take care of the rest.

I am not sure why I forgot about the tooth issues at 2, it seems that I had forgotten a lot from baby #1 to baby #2. Thank you "pregnant brain" for losing all of the important details that would help me and Boo if I could remember them.

Boo had gone to sleep, cried a little, rubbed his cheeks and said "Owie". Finally a sign that I understood, I started to ask him if his mouth hurt and he said yes, Owie!

Teeth, it was like a light bulb went off and I finally got it. I ran to the medicine cabinet and got out the Oragel numbing gel and put it on his gum. He balked at the taste for a minute and then relaxed.

I went in and got some homeopathic Calms for Kids and gave him a couple. He closed his eyes and went peacefully back to sleep. I had done it! Finally his pain had eased and after weeks of wondering, guessing and trying to no avail, he was asleep and comfortable.

I felt like such a horrible mom, I kept wondering why I did not think of teeth before now. But, after a few minutes of berating myself I decided that it wasn’t worth losing any more sleep over and went to sleep myself. Now I am prepped with my teething tools by the bed and ready for the next sign of discomfort. We will sleep from now on; now that I know the cause, I can be armed with the cure.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

New Snack Find - Muddy Buddies – Mmmm!

Mommy Milestones — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:30:00 GMT

It was my turn to bring a snack for the kids at my moms group. I was getting a little tired bringing gummy fruit snacks, cupcakes and cookies. I know, they are not the healthiest snack but at least all of the kids like them and the moms get a few minutes of peace to talk. Meanwhile the kids get a good dose of sugar, hit a rush and then crash just in time to get in the car and go home. It seemed to be a perfect solution for the much needed mom time.

We have tried to bring in a healthier snack, celery with peanut butter and raisins, but found that the kids were not as entertained and seemed more likely to bug mom than play with their friends. So, we gave in and have a little burst of sugar, everything in moderation, right?

Well this time I decided to make a snack, Muddy Buddies and WOW are they good! Muddy Buddies are a variation on the old favorite Chex snack mix but with chocolate and peanut butter. It was really easy, inexpensive and only took 15 minutes to make, all key components to anything made in my home.

The true test was the moms group, would the kids be happy and eat the snack letting the moms talk or would they be annoying. The snacks were great, the kids ate all of the snack mix and had a great time. It worked out even better than I had hoped because the snack was more of a grazing food than an eating food and the kids would come and go allowing for lots of mom time.

I now have a staple in my kid’s party repertoire and a new mom time find.

Here is the recipe for you to enjoy, THANK YOU Chex!

9 cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex, or Chocolate Chex cereal (any combination that you choose, I mixed them)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used Kirkland organic)

1/4 cup butter or margarine (I used butter)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1) Into a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside

2) In a 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon food storage plastic bag.

3) Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Ghosts, Monsters and the Occasional Dinosaur

Mommy Milestones — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:49:00 GMT

Halloween reeked havoc on the mind of our little boy. Boo is a firm believer that a ghost, monster and the occasional dinosaur enter our home at night and cause the creaks and squeaks that can be heard once the lights go out.

AJ’s no help because he continues to make booing and howling noises in our dark bedroom when he comes up for bed. Boo knows that it is AJ and looks for him announcing the ghost to Joe and me but is convinced that there is another one in his room.

With the introduction of the big boy bed, we have had a number of sleepless nights with Boo in our bed or one of us in his. We have searched the room, looked under the bed, told them to go home to their moms, added a ton of stuffed animals to his bed and put in another night light.

Now he is finally sleeping through the night, mostly, and is eager to go to bed. It is a major step up from a week ago but I am feeling a vague similarity to the sleepless nights with a baby. Thank goodness this won’t last as long.

Joe and I were talking and remembered AJ having visits by a big bear and a dinosaur that refused to go home to their mommies. At the time we thought that he was trying to stay up later but in hindsight he may have been afraid of a shadow or sound. To cure his anxiety I made him a paper shield and hung it on his wall. Since it was a dinosaur I resorted to the protection of the shield to guard against his nemesis the dinosaur. As for the bear, I sternly told him that it was not ok to be out so late and that his mother would be worried. I told the bear to go home, RIGHT NOW, and he did. AJ slept soundly after that and has ever since.

Today my mom brought over a stone frog that is said to sing at night to keep away bad dreams. I read the story to the boys and put the frog in Boo’s room. Both boys were intrigued and eager to hear the songs that the frog would sing. I told them that they would have to be really quiet and try to sleep because the frog would only sing when dreams were coming. The songs of the frog would only allow good dreams to enter our home and keep bad dreams firmly outside of our windows and doors.

I am optimistic that he will hear the sounds of the singing frog and know that he is safe to sleep soundly tonight, I know that I will.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Mini Vacation at Home

Mommy Milestones — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:50:00 GMT

I am amazed at how quickly we adjusted to Joe being home full time. It has been so nice over the past 2 weeks. We have spent more time together as a family than we have in a long time. Even though we are not doing anything together that is different than before, it just feels better.

We get up together and have a cup of coffee. Then he goes down to his office and works. At lunch time he comes up and we all eat together. Since he is home I can put Boo down for a nap and take AJ to school without any issues. It is so easy, fun and already a habit.

Our stress level is amazingly low. Joe is in high demand and will soon be offered a job. I find myself full of mixed emotions. I am so proud of him and his tenacity but can’t help but wish that he could be home with us too. I know that he loves his work, is concerned with stability and takes great care of us all but I wish that he had a job where he could work from home part time too.

AJ and Boo love having him around and cry when he leaves. It has been a nice vacation at home for them. They are used to the routine and will have to adjust to Daddy leaving everyday for work.

I feel like the layoff was a blessing that gave us time to spend together. It gave Joe the opportunity to know how in demand his skills are and gave him a chance to showcase his knowledge in a different setting.

I love my husband beyond any capacity of reason as I do my boys but having some unanticipated time together at home somehow rekindled that love and appreciation for him as a man.

I now believe even more that some of the greatest gifts and blessings are those that we may not choose for ourselves.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

Karate and Kung Fu Panda

Mommy Milestones — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:07:00 GMT

Since AJ has been in Karate, we have seen an increase in his focus, discipline and activity level. He and Boo practice karate moves with a resounding KIA and a desire to outdo one another with high kicks and new punches. Thank goodness one of the karate creeds is to only use karate to help people or I fear that we would have a round of ultimate fighting versus kicks and punches in the air.

I have had to get involved with the practice pad. During class the instructor holds a pad for them to kick or punch and it has become my job to hold a pillow at home as well. What would a fun day of practice be without a target to hit?

About a month into karate we went to see Kung Fu Panda at the theater and both boys loved it. AJ was not as well versed in karate then but did appreciate the theme that you can do anything if you set your mind and heart on doing so.

Now that he has graduated to a gold belt from the beginner white belt he is a more disciplined participant in his class. His goal is to be a black belt and get the trophy that is as tall as he is. In preparation, he sits like a black belt, stands like a black belt and calls out his punches as loud as a black belt. In his mind he is a black belt, not much unlike Po in Kung Fu Panda.

The similarities are humorous in that he chose a cheetah with a karate uniform at Build-a-Bear and Boo picked a Panda.

Hmmm… The arch rivals of the movie have come to our home and now the movie has followed.

Karate Cheetah and Golfing Panda go head to head as AJ and Boo watch the movie, practice their moves and compete at being the loudest black belt karate guy in the house.

I will keep you posted as the competition unfolds with AJ Cheetah and Panda Boo.

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.

A week of Chaos equates to a new home office for Joe.

Mommy Milestones — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:18:00 GMT

I have always been a firm believer that an opportunity can be found in any situation and a lay off is no different. Joe has been optimistic and reaching out to his many contacts with much success. He will not be under employed for long!

But, as the keeper of good will, positive attitudes and creative ideas, I decided to create a home office in our currently unfinished basement for Joe. He is not used to the all day noise and pandemonium that comes from 2 boys at home.

With that in mind, the past week has been filled with chaos.

The basement needed a major overhaul in order to create a positive work place and I was up to the challenge. A real finished basement was a bit out of the question with the current employment status but being a creative person I had an idea.

I began to go through boxes, baby stuff and holiday decorations. Hundreds of boxes began to get put into piles -give away, throw away and put away. I felt like I was on a mission to clear out clutter and make way for positive energy -Chi. (Hey, it can’t hurt to call in positive energy and get rid of the mess at the same time!)

Once the piles were made, Joe moved them to the appropriate spot and I began to create rooms. I went to the fabric store and bought some inexpensive walls, fabric, to hang up and make a storage area, a bedroom and an office.

I hung the fabric from the beams on the ceiling to make a sound diffuser and visual barrier to the storage that we desperately need and the office that Joe would call home for a while.

He moved his desk and files down, rewired the outlets, added a nice light and wah-lah, a home office was created.

My job this week is to redo the loft and fix my office. I am in a creative mood and really looking forward to all of the changes.

Change is good and I hope that the boys learn that change should not be feared but embraced because opportunities are everywhere, it just depends what you want to do with them!

Off to make another Mommy Milestone.