Mowing with Daddy

The need for privacy

Challenge to be a better parent

One night a friend had pinned a link to a blog post titled, "10 Things I Learned When I Stopped Yelling At My Kids."  I had to look at it right away.  I could relate to a lot of things she said.  I decided I wanted to take the challenge of no yelling.  I told Matt that I want him to take this challenge with me.  He said something really important (to me), he made a comment that it will be easier for him than for me.  Whether it is because I am around The Gs a lot more than he is or the fact that he has a lot calmer personality than I do, either way it is true.  I do yell a lot more than he does, or anyone else in our home.  I want that to change.  I want more peace in my home.  I don't want my children to grow up in a home where yelling is an "acceptable" mode of communication.  So, I am challenging myself to 1 year with no yelling.  It is going to be hard.  I am going to take it one day at a time.  I am going to get frustrated, I am going to want to yell, but I will have to find alternatives to yelling.  On the blog that I linked to above she has alternatives to yelling,  I may need to post some of them around my house.

I have to be made accountable in order to make this work, and that is why I am making it "public" that I am doing this challenge.

On one of the pages she posted something that made me say "Yes, I want that!" And I think I will post it in a few places around the house to help me remember.  She said,

I want to be a mom who has the energy and determination to forge ahead and parent with more composure and warmth and without the yelling!

The Things They Say - Part 8

Me, after hearing one girl whisper something about boyfriend "You don't have a boyfriend.  Boys are evil."

G4 "Not mine. Jacob's not evil."

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G2 "You look as pretty as me, Mommy."

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G1, while playing Beyblades with the girls "The ones you win are practice. The ones I win are the real ones."

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G4 asked if I filled up the water jug in the fridge.  I responded "No, Daddy did."

G4 then said "I must like him."

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Me "I am tired. I think it is time for bed."

G4 "For you. Not for us."

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G2 "I want my hair grey like Grammy's for the hundredth day."

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G4 passed gas and said "I didn't fart."

Me "You didn't? What did you do then?"

G4 "I sneezed! When you fart your butt sneezes."

A little while later...

G4 "My butt sneezes a lot."

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G4 "You are my mom. Sissies don't have a mom."

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Jacob "G1, what's 55 minus 27?"

G1 "I don't have my nametag."

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G4 "Boys don't have babies!"

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G3 "Mommy, do you wish it was summer?"

Me "Yes I do, baby."

G3 "So we don't have to wear coats?"

Me "And so everyone isn't sick anymore."

G3 "And so we can go swimming?"

Me "Yeah"

G3 "I wish that, too."

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G4 "Can I have the checkbook?"

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G4 "Hey! Ours neighbor has a neighbor!"

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G3 "Pretty girls aren't tough."

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G1 "If I played the Wii game Wipeout I would win."

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G4 "I want to be in the middle of nowhere."

G4

G3

G2

G1

First Bike Ride of the Year

Although it is technically spring, we are still awaiting spring weather.  However, G2 has been asking, a lot, to go on a bike ride, so I made it happen.

 G3 and G4

 G1 and G2, don't you love the face she is making??

Housekeeping

Anyone that knows me at all knows I am far from great (even good!) at home making skills. I don't enjoy cooking. I hate doing laundry and dishes. Cleaning does not come natural to me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all these things getting done. I just enjoy them more when someone else does them. 

Because I do not enjoy these activities I am always finding ways to avoid doing them. *rolls eyes at self* Then I get frustrated with myself for letting them go. It is such a vicious cycle. One I wish I knew how to break.  It isn't that I don't know how to do any of these things, I just really hate doing them.

I have lists, I have schedules.  Those things are wonderful tools, but only if you actually use them. *sigh*

It all seemed so much easier when G4 was itty bitty. I was able to keep up (for the most part) on both levels of the house AND blog on a very regular basis. Now I can't do either thing. And 3 Gs are in school full day and 1 half day. Shouldnt it be easier now???

Anyway,  the point of this post is not to tell you all how horrible at keeping up on mine own home. I actually am curious to hear from you about a few things.

I am curious how often you do the following items:

*Dust
*Windex windows/pictures
*Wash curtains/shower curtains
*Wipe down baseboards
*Wipe down interior and exterior doors
*Wipe down table and chair legs
*Clean under couch/chair cushions
*Wash pillows
*Scrub tub/shower
*Scrub BEHIND the toilet, not just inside or the outside that is seen

How do you make home making more enjoyable?
What kind of a routine do you have that makes things easier?
What tips would you give someone, such as myself, that wants to stop detesting these activities?