Archive for April 2014

20 Reasons You Need To Rethink Your Pinterest Boards

Recently, I came across this....

 Instantly I was like, YES! I am not the only one...

Then I started thinking... Are there more of us out there? More of us Pinterest dreamers who also happen to not have a crafty bone in our body. And when I say more of "us" think: So craft challenged, I'd say it's not funny, but usually all who witness piss themselves laughing. Sure enough, there are lots of "us" out there! If you too are one of "us," behold the reason you may need to call your family and tell them you love them before starting a Pinterest project. You know, just in case you blow up the house and/or yourself in the process...

I get it. This looked easy enough.
Or not.


I'd be proud of that

Um. I'm pretty sure booze was involved in the making of this cake.
Lots of it.

Yep. looks like my work.

I LOVE that this amazing baker just kept going.
It's clear by all of the lumps under the icing things went south well before the icing.
I think it's beautiful!
In a drunk disturbed teddy bear sorta way.
P.s. I am TOTALLY trying this! 

Been there. Done that. Rocked it.

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!

I would be stoked with that, because I would call it a
 CHEWBACCA Cookie!

Thank you to whom ever did this.
I was going to try it.
Was.

FAIL!
I may never eat one again thanks to this photo.



Seriously. This would scare my toddler from bunnies. FOREVER!
In fact, I may be. 
I'm kinda grossed out right now. 
Really?
Dammit.
 I was going to give this a try.
Surely. I can do better...
Surely?

Well... my toddler would LOVE to have it!
What ever you call "it"

I've cried over something similar.
While everyone else laughed...

Poor wife.
She tried, dammit.

Yep. I gave up on this photo two Christmases ago.
Actually, I gave up on all staged photos two Christmases ago.
And finally, the winner of, WTF Pinterest fail...

BRAVO!
I bet this mom NEVER has to bake again.


So what did we learn today?



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Want A Healthier Mind, Body and Spirit In 30 Days... Or Less?!

It's that time of year... For most of us Northern Hemisphere dwellers, the snow has melted, the fear of frost is nearly behind us, and most of all, we want to wear shorts or (Gasp!) a bathing suit...and not be considered a crime against fashion. The fastest and healthiest way to do that is sticking to a manageable diet and exercise plan. Ideally an exercise plan you look forward to, is free, easy and fun of course!  Here is the plan to get you ready for summer...

                      It's time for the 30/30 Walking Challenge!


                                                  I am so excited about this month's Challenge...
WALK IT OFF!

When: 
The entire month of May! 

Where: 
Anywhere your feet take you!

How:  
All you have to do is walk thirty minutes a day, for thirty days.  Here is the best part, you can walk at any pace you want, snail slow if you want, or train for the race walking Olympic team!
Get out and enjoy the spring/summer air. 
Take the family or just your MP3 player.
(You could apply this challenge to any activity.  It is all about creating a short attainable goal.)

I wish I could take the credit for this program, but I learned about it on, "The Doctors" TV show.  They had an episode full of different diet and exercise challenges. The 30/30 Walking Challenge was the one that really resonated with me.  With this program you can lower your heart attack risk, lose weight, add years to your life, sleep better and of course, better your over all health and mood. IN LESS THAN 30 DAYS!! (Don't believe me? click HERE to watch a short video about this program.) Another great aspect to this program is that it is FREE.  All you have to do is walk to reap the benefits.  No gym membership, diet or personal trainer screaming at you, necessary.

The girl who took this challenge on the show reported that by the 14th day she was already feeling,"great."  She admitted it was difficult at first, but that by the end of the second week, she began to look forward to her walks. Clearly it only takes 2 weeks to start feeling better! By the end of the 30/30 challenge she lost ELEVEN pounds total!   

My friends, just think... in two weeks you could be sleeping better, reducing your cholesterol and chances for a heart attack, losing weight, and become a healthier, happier person.  How could you not want to at least try? I am tempted to just call it the 30/15 challenge, because I have faith after you walk for thirty minutes for 15 days straight, you will want to keep walking.  I know this because I started this program back in August, just to see if I could do it, and if I could actually practice what I preach, before I preached it to you.  Well, I can.  I too look forward to my walks now.  I also look forward to being your fearless leader. I promise.  If my plump lazy bottom can do it, so can you!

                                                


So, here is the plan for starting your own 30/30 Challenge...

I really want this to be something that you can easily incorporate into your day.  In an effort to help you all get creative, I have come up with a few ideas to help you easily blend the challenge into your day!

1. If you take public transportation to work, walk to the next furthest stop or station.  (I know for those non-morning people this is a stupid suggestion) 
2. At lunch, walk 15 minutes away from your desk, eat, then walk back--maybe even the long way back. 
3. On the weekends go explore a new (historic) town or nature trail with the family. 
4.  New mothers on maternity leave, make it a point that this challenge is CRUCIAL for you. Go for a walk by yourself every evening when your partner gets home.  Of course you can take the baby, but getting out for some alone time will kill two birds with one stone for you! 
5. Only need a couple things from the store? If one is close enough, walk there! 
6. Walk the kids to school for the month. 
7. On rainy days, clean or organize a closet for 30 minutes, better yet, go to the indoor mall for some retail therapy--Again, kill two birds with one stone!
8. Go walk through an outdoor mall. 
9. For a week straight walk out of your front door and take a different street or path and see what you find! 
10. Take your walking shoes to work with you, and put them on before you leave.  The first step is ALWAYS the hardest!

HINT: Tell as many people as you can that you are doing this.  Get a support group to help encourage and hold you accountable!  YOU CAN DO THIS!  It's just 30 minutes for thirty days.  It's not hard, or an on going commitment.  This is a challenge that you know you can do.  Let me know how I can help.  I LOVE getting your emails and hearing your excitement!  Keep them coming!  firsttimemomanddad(at)gmail(dot)com  (<---I write it like that to keep the idiot spammers from annoying me... as much as possible!)

Also,  make sure you are following FTM&D on your favorite social media page to stay up to date!  

Please post your walking photos to the First Time Mom and Dad Facebook page too!

YOU CAN DO THIS!





Epic Fail: My Kid Throws Toys, And It's All My Fault.

It's that time again... Time for one of my EpicFail: I Screwed-Up-Please-Learn-From-My-Mistakes post...

Today's lesson: DO NOT THROW YOUR KID'S TOYS!  You may be laughing, but let me ask you this, when you are cleaning up the toys at the end of the day, do you place them gently into the toy box or back on the shelf, or do you throw them back in the box to get the job done as quickly as possible? It turns out, that's baaaaaad!

To me, it seemed like no big deal to throw his toys in the toy box at the end of the day, in fact, I let Ollie do it right along with me. It was clean up time, that's how we clean up in a hurry.  Little did I  know, he enjoyed throwing toys so much at clean up time, now he's doing it all of the time... and he doesn't stop at toys...Epic. Fail.

What's worse, his throwing arm is getting better and better from all of the practice, now he can throw pretty much anything!  Not. Good.


I realized that I may have a problem on my hands a couple of months ago, when he threw a toy and it hit a play date in the head. Of course it was a complete accident, but still, I was SO embarrassed!  I immediately apologized to the mom, then pulled Ollie aside and explained how throwing toys was wrong!  I then made him apologize to the little girl.  Still, I had no idea it was my toy chucking at the end of the day was a contributing factor to the issue.



Then last month, he started throwing his toys for no reason at all. Of course, sometimes he would throw out of anger, but mainly just to throw something. Since, I have been working diligently to teach him what is acceptable to throw and when. i.e a ball outside.  Still, every night I went right on chucking toys in his toy box and toy bins, not thinking anything about it.



Then, while talking to a fellow mom--of four--about Ollie's awesome throwing arm, she asked if I threw Ollie's toys when cleaning up.  Of course I was like, Um, yeah? Doesn't everyone?!  She told me she did the same with her first two, but when throwing became an issue for her too, a day care teacher told her that to stop throwing toys at clean up time.

This made perfect sense to me.  I was constantly telling Ollie to stop throwing toys, yet I did it, sometimes TWICE a day!  Epic. Mom. Fail! Thanks to this realization, now I am stuck with two daunting tasks.

1. Resisting the urge to throw his toys at the end of the day, no matter how tired or annoyed I am at him wanting to play with EVERY damn toy we are trying to put away.

2. Reprogramming my son to no longer be a toy chucking mad man.

While it has only been about a week since I have stopped throwing toys at clean-up time, I do feel better knowing that I may have figured out what's going on and a solution.  I'll let you know how it works out... In the meantime if you are a toy chucking parent with a toy chucking child, you might want to stop chucking toys too...



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5 Tips to Ensure Your Child’s Safety When Traveling By Car




Whether you’re heading out on a family road trip or simply dropping the kids off at school, it’s essential to ensure you are keeping them safe. Injuries – and worse still fatalities – can actually be prevented with the right safety regime and none of us wants to leave our child at risk of harm. Below you’ll discover the top 5 tips to ensure your child is safe while traveling in the car.



1. Correctly installing the right car seat
Every parent knows that a car seat is essential for young children. However, many are confused by the large amount of choice on offer. It can be difficult to know which car seat is right for your child. As a general rule, infants up to 35 pounds should always be placed into a rear-facing seat, while children 35 pounds and over should be secured in a forward facing seat with a 5-point harness. Always pay attention to the weight restrictions and installation instructions too. You can find useful information regarding the different car seats on the Safecar.gov website.   
2. Be aware of the temperature
The number of children dying from heat stroke each year is disturbing. There appears to be much more awareness of keeping animals cool in hot weather in the car than there is with children. No matter how long you are traveling for, always be aware of how hot it is for your children. Keep windows open and never leave them in the car by themselves, even for short periods of time. It’s also surprisingly easy to forget about children in hot cars. According to US. News, 44 children actually died after being left by accident in a hot car in 2013.
3. Remove bulky clothing before placing your child in the car seat
One thing a lot of parents don’t think about is what their child is wearing in the car seat. Did you know that if they are wearing bulky clothing such as thick coats, it will affect how well the car seat protects them? If an accident occurs, the coat could compress which would leave quite a gap between the seat and the child. This increases the risk of injury.
4. Use a rear facing seat as long as possible
Don’t be tempted to move young children into a forward facing seat too early. The rear facing seats are designed to properly protect the soft points of a baby’s body. You’ll find that most seats recommend keeping children up until the age of 1 in a rear facing seat. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises you use the rear-facing options until the child is 2 years of age wherever possible.
5. Beware of power windows
Very few parents give their power windows a second thought. It may seem like a cool feature to invest in once you’ve passed your test and you’re looking for a new car, but did you know power windows can actually kill a child? Remember the safety lessons from that test and apply them even more cautiously when you’ve got children on board. Make sure you’ve taken all necessary precautions to ensure your child cannot control the windows themselves.

I Just Want To Hold On To This Moment...

I'm not sure if it was me going away this past weekend, or what, but I am clinging to my child like a magnet on a refrigerator.  Everyone said it would be him behaving like that after a weekend away, but it's not him, it's me!  I just want to hold him and smother him with hugs and kisses. I keep finding myself staring and smiling at my son.  My beautiful, kind, articulate, amazing little son. "Little" being the operative word.  I see him now in all of his 2-year-old three-foot glory, and know it will not last long. For some reason, now more than ever, I want to hold tight to each moment and memorize every little finger, toe and eyelash.

While going through some old photos the other day, I began to panic when I realized that I was already forgetting moments from Ollie's baby days. I couldn't remember when photos were taken, and sometimes even how old Ollie was in the photos. It scared me. I don't want to forget my baby. I don't want to forget his giggle, fat rolls or even those crazy sounds he made those first few months. I don't want to forget his first words, steps or even tears. I don't want to forget anything.

Some of the very best moments I will not have photos to help my memory. Like today, I was laying on the couch when Ollie came over and out of nowhere leaned in for a hug and kiss.  It was such a beautiful moment. And then as fast as he came, he ran away.  I watched his sweet little feet bounce away and his cute little butt follow. It's moments like that I want to cry I am so overwhelmed with emotion.  It's moments like that I am reminded of the true beauty of motherhood, and just how incredibly blessed I am to have a child.



If Ollie really is going to be my one and only child, I want to remember everything.  I want to slow down time and enjoy every moment of his life, even the ones that make me want to hide in the closet with wine and chocolate. Sometimes, I feel like I am in a race to raise him. I look forward to milestones and forget to fully appreciate the ones he has already met. I hate to admit it, but somedays I am so jealous of the moms who's kids are in school all day.  I have to stop.  I have to appreciate the blessing that is being able to be a work-from-home mother. 

Sorry for the incredibly sappy post, but I am so overwhelmed with love for my sweet little boy. The little boy who one day will grow up, fly out of the nest and leave me crying over a photo album full of memories. Memories of moments that I am living right now. Moments I am going to do my best to slowdown and take the time to fully absorb and remember.


Continental TrueContact Tires: Wet Braking Like You Have Never Known #ContinentalMom #ForWhatYouDo

A few weeks ago Continental flew me out to San Antonio, put me up in a lovely hotel, then the next day took me, and 10 other bloggers across multiple platforms, out to their proving grounds in Uvalde, Texas to test their new TrueContact tires against other leading tire manufactures in the US. At no time did they pay me compensation for being there. Continental just had me out and let me test multiple tires, on multiple tracks, under multiple conditions so I could form my own opinions. And that's exactly what I did...


Oh. My. Goodness. What a day... I felt like I was having an out of body experience testing the limits like a wild person. I normally drive pretty subdued, you know having precious cargo and all, so when the track master said, FLOOR IT, then SLAM ON YOUR BRAKES.  I was like, um... are you sure? He smiled and said, Floor it, then picture a kid in front of the car. That was all I needed. I floored it, hit 55 miles an hour, then at the orange cones pictured a kid. I slammed on my brakes for dear life, on a track covered in water no less! Thankfully, the tires did their job and stopped. Well, the Continental TrueContact tires stopped...

We tested four leading tire manufactures that day, including the Continental TrueContact. The tires were all comparable in cost and style, and tested on the same make and model car.

It makes me sick to say it, but the tires on my own car did not stop until almost 15 feet AFTER the place where the Continental tires stopped. I was so upset when my tire manufacturer didn't stop. I got out of the car in disbelief, and asked the track guy why? WHY did my tires made by a leading tire manufacturer preform SO poorly in comparison? He explained the different tread levels on various tires, and the materials used. Plain and simple, Continental doesn't mess around when it comes to safety, materials and the environment. It's scary that other companies can.



Speaking of scary... Our next task was to purposely hydroplane! The purpose of the test was to show that if you can only afford to replace two tires, you should put them on the BACK, not the front. Which is the opposite of what I had always been taught, but sure enough, its true! I learned this by driving two separate cars-- one with new (TrueContact) tires on the front, and the other with new (TrueContact) tires only on the back-- around an oval track "hugging the white line" at 55 miles an hour, and then once I came to the part of the track with water being constantly hosed on it, I had and resist the urge to break when I saw the water. I actually had to hit that strip of wet track at 55 miles an hour and hydroplane! This showed the difference of control between having bald tires on the front vs. the back. It was night and day... and SO scary!

That's me saying, OMG!  Did you see that! SCARY!
It really was amazing how I just came right out of the hydroplane!
LOVE these tires!!
As if straight track breaking in water and purposely hydroplaning wasn't enough, next we tested the various tires on a huge wet road course. No comparison.  It was like the road was not even wet the way I zipped through the cones and turns on the Continental tires.
That's me, extra focused. That's my partner holding on to the "oh shit" handle and praying.
I learned so much that day at the Continental proving grounds. I learned that I drive like a chicken, and the more confidence I have behind the wheel, and yes, the more aggressive I am, the safer I drive. I will no longer be afraid to "hug" a turn, or slam on my brakes in water. Most of all, I learned that when you let your tire purchase be motivated by price, you put your family's lives in danger. I will not drive on crap tires ever again! It's crucial that you do the research and choose the best possible tires to protect your family. For my family, that is Continental's TrueContact Tires.
WHAT A DAY!

To learn more about the Continental TrueContact Tires, CLICK HERE!


I Have The Flu, And I Blame Corporate America For It. Also, Day Care Should Have A Sick Room.

As I lay here in bed, trying to summon the Grim Reaper to come put me out of my misery, my anger for America's socially accepted views towards illness in the workplace is mounting. I have the flu, and so does one of my best friends--in another state-- and according to the nurse I just talked to, so do an alarming number of people. That's right folks, if you haven't heard it already, the flu is going around big time! And due to the insane work ethic that has been pounded into the minds of Americans, I expect it is only going to get worse, before WE ALL get better!

That's Me.
It has always bothered me that, as Americans, we are taught that unless we are truly dying, we are to report to work. Some, including myself, have the mentality that the sicker you are at work, the more 'dedicated' of an employee you are. Employers even commend you for going up sick. And it's a widely accepted rule of thumb that the more you are willing to sacrifice your life, happiness and even free time, the more valuable you are as an employee. Sadly, we all know this is so wrong, yet a fair number of us pride ourselves on our work ethic and drive to meet and exceed those expectations for sacrifice.

I have no doubt the spread of the flu I am battling right now is due to someone going to work and spreading their germs far and wide. Recently, I went into a gas station, to find a clerk that looked like death. She was telling her coworker that she had the flu and felt terrible, but could not afford to miss a day of work. As mad as I wanted to be at her for spreading her nasty germs all over money and into the hands of the hundreds of people she would encounter on her shift, I understood.  I would have done the same if it meant the difference between feeding my child or not.

Since becoming a work-from-home mom, I have on many occasions been thankful that I am my own boss. Today is one of those days. As I lay here with a fever, barely any voice and aching all over, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, if I was still working for corporate America, I would be at work today. I would spend the day trying to avoid personal contact, while getting as much work done as possible, and somehow underneath all of the pain and illness, feel some sick gratification for dragging my sick sorry ass out of bed.

SO. Not. Right.

This same 'die at your desk' mentality, is also a huge part of why I held my son out of daycare for the first two years of his life; I was afraid of all of the illnesses I heard would come with daycare, thanks to parents dropping off sick kids. It's amazing to me that the rule of thumb with day cares is that, your  kid is welcome as long as they don't have a fever. Meaning, fever-free super sick snotty germ domes are welcome. HELLLOOOO. Again I say, SO. Not. Right.

Day cares are big fat petri dishes that keep the common cold and stomach flus in circulation all winter long.

This is not really a stab at day cares. I have no doubt day care employees could scrub every surface and child multiple times a day, and still not win the battle.  Parents could do the same at home, and still not win the germ battle either. The only thing that will ever help, is doing your part to stop the spread of sick germs. If you or our child are ill, limit your personal contact with others until you are better.

Simple. If your kid is sick, keep them home. If you are sick, stay home.

Don't worry, I know that is asking for the impossible. 


We are Americans, staying home due to illness is almost like asking Congress to get along. I say almost, because every once in a while we do stay home for illness...

I know that I am the majority in thinking this, 'die at your desk,' mentality is wrong. But, this mentality is also why America is referred to as a Super Power. Still, it's undoubtedly wrong that even though you are sick, your boss is still demanding that you have to work. It's beyond wrong that if you call into work because your kid is sick, you get docked pay and are looked down on. So what do you do, you drag your ill child to day care to keep the food on the table. It's wrong, wrong, wrong, all wrong!

So what's the answer? Clearly, more guidelines around illness in the work place. I also think that day cares should have 'sick rooms' for ill kids. The room could be kept extra clean with toys that can be easily cleaned.  I also think most ill kids want to take it easy.  Maybe the rooms also have a more relaxed structure, with movies and quiet play.  Lumping sick kids with healthy kids=One rotten apple spoils the bunch. One sick kid can take out 20 healthy ones.

Who knows, maybe if the sick kid rooms were in place, I may not have the flu today. Maybe if illness guidelines were in place at the workplace, the flu would not be spreading... What do you think?  Has this flu made me lose my mind? Or is it time for workplace guidelines and day care sick rooms?

5 Important DIY Tips For First-Timers

This weekend was my first crash course in DIY.  While I did love it, and the instant gratification was awesomeness, the work was not always fun, or easy. That being said, while I was was up on a ladder with pieces of ceiling falling on my head, I began making a mental list of lessons for you my dear readers, so not only can I warn you about the perils and triumph of parenting, I can now warn you about the perils and triumph of DIY!  Behold, my 5 greatest lessons learned about DIY so far.

                                               

1. DIY requires the whole-ass.  There is no half-ass on a good DIY job. There is no slap on spackle, quick sand and paint. Oh, No. It's fill the damn hole, wait for the spackle (aka. Damn Hole Filler Stuff) to dry, THEN sand it. THEN wipe the dust away. THEN paint.  I have to admit, it does look much better when you take the time to read the directions (or for me, listen to FTD). Again, no half-assing DIY.

2. It's a labor of Love. If you love what you are doing, then it's not nearly as bad when it requires hard labor. When I stopped looking at the project as a task on the list, but as an opportunity to make my house more beautiful, I slowed down and enjoyed the job. With one million and one more DIY projects left to do on our 1920's fixer upper, I am glad I learned this lesson early on.

Even though I had to go over the yard like ten times,
 it was so awesome to see all my hard work pay off!
                                               
3. Kid's can be a DI-Don't! This past weekend, FTD and I were not able to find anyone to look after the wild-child, so we made do. We traded off watching him while the other did their task, or gave him a dry paint brush to paint a dry wall, or a broom to "help" sweep.  (Read: Make a bigger mess.)  When DIY-ing with a child have plenty of activities planned out to keep the little one busy.



4. Do the Research before going to the Hardware Store to save time and money.- Know what you need, and price check it before stepping foot in the store. There are so many apps available now that can price check multiple stores for you. You can save a ton using them, also look for coupons and rebates online. I learned this because FTD said go get white exterior paint. So, off I went... to what I now fondly (or not) refer to as the wall of confusion. I was certain the words were not even English until I asked for help.


5. Sometimes it's best to seek out a professional opinion before you DIY.  I inherited a huge yard of overgrown somethings. I also inherited a very large tree that looks to have a very large disease. But before completely writing it off and cutting it down, I have asked a professional to come out and help me figure out how to save it, if possible.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of professionals who will come out to consult on a project and only charge a small fee and sometimes even do it for free!

Poor tree.  It's sick in only that one spot!
I am determined to save it.
Just in case you are wondering if FTD--The very well seasoned DIYer-- has any lessons he learned over the weekend to share, he does! But only one...

Don't leave a new DIY Dumbasser alone with a new job until you are sure she has a clear understanding of what she is doing.  I was left to paint a 'sofit,' but painted the trim around the sofit instead. Whoops! Whatever, it all looked extra pretty by the time I was finished.


After this weekend, I am so excited to start working on more projects. I am DIY-hooked!  Do you have any lessons you have learned that you can share?

If you are just joining the 1920's fixer-upper saga... please read, We Bought A 1920's Fixer-Upper! Why, Yes... We Are Completely Nuts!


OH. NO! What If He Stays Like This Forever?

I have learned so many things during in my two short years of parenting. One of them being, you take the good with the bad, and be thankful for your blessing... no matter how spirited. 

I hate to say it, but I wish my boy was just a little more... cautious? calm? I'm not sure of the word, because I do love him so much and am so proud of him, but sometimes, I wish he would take it down a notch or twenty. Ever since I can remember my kid has been running from me.  Fearlessly turning corners well before me, running and hiding in stores he has never been in, climbing every stair and ladder he comes across, and then trying to jump off. And while I am so thankful for his abilities and sturdiness on his feet, it's challenging being the mother of the kid who is so busy on his feet.
18-months-old. PEACE OUT, MOMMY!
It bugs the crap out of me that it's next to impossible to hold him for two minutes while I have a conversation with an adult. Or when I turn away for thirty seconds I find him trying to do a cannonball off the back of the couch, or combing up then jumping from retaining walls that are two feet high,. Yes, I am so proud of his athletic abilities and fearlessness--to a certain degree.  It's just that I wish this wild and fearless behavior was not what seems to be 95% of the time!

Just yesterday, FTD and I met the greatest couple with a little boy who is 6-months older than Ollie.  Instantly we all became fast friends. Which, is surprising since the majority of the time I was chasing or reprimanding Ollie, or when I stopped for a brief moment to talk, having to explain why I was not chasing him three yards away or yelling NO! While,it was very embarrassing, after a year of dealing with his "spirited" nature, I'm used to just smiling through the insanity. Plus, I have learned to choose my battles, and not chase after him since it usually proves fruitless. It jus sucked that the whole time her little boy was within arms reach of her, and sweet as can be.  I couldn't help but be a little jealous.

This was taken on his 1st birthday!
Already hauling ass. 
Since clearly my kid never runs out of steam, I cannot help but wonder, what if this is not a toddler phase... What if my kid is a wild ass daredevil for the rest of his life? What if I am raising the next Evil Knievel? Seriously, what if this is not a phase, but only a warm-up of what's to come?

I really don't have any desire to be the mom on the playground begging her son to get down from the roof of the school, or explaining that trying to jump a bike from one roof to another because they look close enough to do it, is a bad decision. More or less, I don't want to spend the rest of my life saying, NO! or begging my kid to not jump off the roof in make shift bird wings.
It took him 3 seconds to get up there. 

Truthfully, the hardest part of all of this, is trying to figure out how to parent him through this. Do I yell no all of the time an make him walk next to me, even if that does mean one of those backpack leashes, or do I let him run ahead and climb the stairs?  Sometimes I think I should just be full-on mean mom for as long as it takes to make him walk next to me and not climb on things, but then I wonder if I am being overly sensitive. Sometimes, when I am positive he is being psycho toddler, an employee at a store will say, Oh no, he is actually really good. You should see the kids who come through here.




I try hard to remind myself that he is two, and nuts... and full of wild happy energy... and a love for life, and that's an AWESOME thing. And yes, as much as it makes me a little crazed at times, I would not want to inhibit his abilities and natural happiness to make my life a little easier. All I know for sure, I hope this really is a phase and that eventually he will run ahead a little less, climb fewer things, and jump from lower structures, and hopefully all of this happens before I rip out all of my hair and lose my mind.


Don't forget to check out the post and giveaway from this weeks Sponsor... Messy Marvin!