Too Many Games?

I admit that I am one of those mothers who tries to manipulate her children by turning everything into a game.

If my children are dragging their feet getting ready for bed at night I will often blurt out, "Who can get their pajamas on the fastest?" And if one kid starts running and the other kids are still dragging their feet it usually just takes, "Oh I  guess Hayden is going to win . . . " and usually the other two start running as well.

Many times the kids have no idea there is even a game going on until, for example, at prayer time I say something like, "Oh . . . I guess Drew is winning the 'Reverence' Game right now." They had no idea the Reverence Game even existed, but if I'm lucky the other kids (not wanting to lose the reverence game) will actually decide to kneel down and fold their arms too.

The Quite Game is great as well. At the dinner table when the children are practically screaming to each other as if they are two football fields away (when actually they are only 12 inches apart) . . . sometimes I will say, " I guess Tilson is totally winning the 'Quiet' game right now." I don't know who invented the quiet game . . . but they deserve a medal. I feel as if I owe them something. All it takes sometimes is a simple, "Let's play the quiet game" and I don't need to say a thing more. The children just take over. But let's be honest . . . my kids don't play the 'Quiet Game' nearly long enough!!

It's terrible I know. I haven't really worried about this manipulation, but I think I might be using the "Game" thing just a little bit too much. This occurred to me after a conversation between Hayden and Ada this morning. Here's how it went:

Ada: "Mom, PLEASE can I have some candy!!! PLEASE!"

Mary: "Ada, what have you even eaten that's healthy today?"

Ada: " Mom! I ate an apple. Did you forget that?"

Mary: "Yes Ada, an apple is healthy. But is that all you've eaten that's healthy?"

Hayden: "Ya Ada, like . . . I have already eaten TWO healthy things today, and you have only eaten one! I am totally winning the 'healthy snack eating' game."

Mary: "Hayden . . . be nice."

Ada: "Ya Hayden . . . I am totally winning the 'Be Nice' game."

Hayden: "Ya but I am winning the 'healthy snack eating' game."

Ada: "Oh ya, . . . well I'm winning the "not healthy snack eating' game."

Mary: Thinking to herself, "No Ada . . . Mommy always wins the 'not healthy snack eating' game."

Hayden: " Ada, that is not even a good game to win!"

So true Hayden. And Oh boy . . . what on earth have I started?!

Becoming Superwoman

 I was looking through old pictures last night and I had one of those "I want to go back in time and tell my younger self something" sort of moments.
 I was looking at pictures from when we lived in St. George and Drew was a baby. I was seriously laughing out loud! There were all of these pictures of  me doing day to day tasks with Andrew in my arms and a scowl on my face. I hadn't realized yet that:
1. It is okay to put your baby down sometimes.
2. It is possible to smile and be a mother at the same time.


My favorite baby shower activity ever is when they have the little slips of paper to write advice on, I take like fifteen of them and grace them with all of my wisdom as a mother because with four kids I now know everything (ha ha ha)

Okay, not really . . . at all. But on one piece of paper I like to write, "It's okay to put your baby down when you brush your teeth."

I say this because about 8 years ago, after a BUSY day of motherhood (did I even know the definition of busy then?) , Lamon walked in the door and I told him, "I haven't even had enough time to brush my teeth today!"
True Story. Oh how it makes me laugh now . . .

Whenever anyone asks me "Which transition is harder? Going from one to two kids, two to three . . . or three to four?"
I don't even hesitate in answering, "Hands down the hardest is going from zero children to one. So if your looking for a good transition, don't stop yet! :)"

See, now I have four kids and I've somehow turned into Superwoman! Don't even try to contradict me either! The other day I was babysitting and had eight kids under the age of 10 in my house the entire day and when Lamon came home he put his arms around me and said, "You are Superwoman!"
I gave him a funny face (standing in front of a sink full of dishes) and said, "Really? I'm Superwoman? And that's why the dishes are done right now and there is an amazing dinner on the table waiting for you?"

And he said, "No. I am just impressed that the house hasn't burned down."

"Nice!" So glad expectations are so high here.

So if you are a first time mother and feel worn down and like you don't amount to much . . . know that one day you too can become a Superwoman. It just takes having more kids while managing not to burn the house down. . . :)

Okay, perhaps I am not Superwoman . . . but I have certainly come a long ways since that stressed exhausted mother of one who couldn't find time to brush her teeth.

Now I can make cookies happily because I have six extra hands helping me to do it. And some of my favorite exercise sessions are while laughing and playing soccer in the front yard with three kids and a baby strapped to me in a Moby wrap (I love those things) and I can even take four children ice skating by myself for Family Night.

Oh ya . . . and not only can I brush my teeth everyday . . . I even find time to floss. . . . all while not burning the house down. . . See, I am Superwoman!!!!!

My 36th Favorite Chore!

CLEANING is not my favorite past time. I know it's important, and I do it (sometimes) but I can think of a few things that are my "more favorite" things to do.

There are certainly some jobs that I like way more than others. Laundry for instance . . . I like (in moderation) . . . Dishes . . . they can be fun. But there are some chores that I will almost always delay until the last possible moment. And one of those chores is Deep Cleaning the Refrigerator. I just don't like it. I have been trying to reflect on why I hate it so much and think I have uncovered the reasons behind it, which might be the first step in overcoming this hatred and helping me to move forward happily and confidently into my cleaning future.

I have realized that part of my problem is that I HATE washing out tupperware full of old food. It is pretty much one of the worst things that you can experience. Okay, that might be an exaggeration. But I'm pretty sure that it must be a proven fact that inhaling fumes from rotten food takes away 3 years from your life at least and may make you more likely to acquire certain diseases. Although I don't exactly  have proof of this, I would put money on it.

When I do have to clean out the Fridge and take out the rotten food, I try and play it safe and start the water and disposal before ever attempting to open the lid to the tupperware. I close my eyes (seeing the rotten food always makes it worse), I hold my breath, and then open the lid and dump it out. I resume breathing once it has all completely been consumed by the disposal. The whole process is extremely traumatic, however. I am determined to overcome my refrigerator cleaning delinquency though, and I think I might have the answer on how to do it.

Between Spencer W. Kimball's motto "Do It" and Pres. Uchtdorf's suggestion to "Stop It" I think I can solve any problem. If I would only "Do It" when I notice food is past it's prime and needs to be removed, and "Stop It" when it comes to ignoring the tupperwares lurking in the back of the fridge . . . then I would prevent any chance of dying as a result of rotten food inhalation. And I would most certainly avoid the depression that comes after cleaning it and realizing that the fridge is now empty and I need to go shopping!!!