Halloween Blues.

I called my mom today to whine about living where it will be perpetually COLD on Halloween night. Where it's cold babies have to wear coats and probably hats if they have good mamas, neither of which do much for an adorable and well planned Halloween costume. So we're doomed to only dress up as Molly the Mountain Climber or Susy the Snowman if we want to stay warm and be able to show off. I should have just gone with one of those woolly baby suit costumes that always looked way too warm while I was in Texas. They're cute, easy and key word here....WARM. Oh well. I'll be better prepared next year I hope!

John Rosemond's Six Point Plan.

Phil and I just ordered three books by John Rosemond who I mentioned in a previous post, the family psychologist who according to his website "no longer even "believes" in psychology, calling it a "largely disingenuous secular religion that has fostered more discord and disharmony in the American family than any other single contemporary force except, perhaps, television." .

We're reading these books together in the evenings when we can. We just finished "point #1" of Rosemond's 6 points. He writes:

...the secret to raising happy, healthy children is to give more attention to the marriage than you give to the children. If you succeed at that, your children will turn out just fine.

His focus is on the family as a "unit" and putting priorities in the proper order within the family. This isn't something I've heard very much from the "experts" I tend to turn to ie The Internet. I often do come across advise to not neglect yourself or your marriage, but I haven't heard that it should be priority #1 which absolutely makes sense. (He makes a similar application to a single parent stating that they should establish an identity for themselves that has nothing to do with their children.) My marriage is the most important relationship in my life and if Phil and I do our jobs right, the kids will be gone someday and we'll keep truckin' along together. If we pour all we are into our babies what will we do once they're gone and have families of their own? He says this problem is why so many couples in their 40s and 50s tend to divorce. They've neglected their marriage while they devoted themselves to their children, grew apart, then have nothing to give each other.

In a two-parent family, the marriage must come first. After all, the marriage created the family, and the marriage sustains it. The marriage preceded the children, and is meant to succeed them. If you don't put your marriage first, and keep it there, it's likely to become a mirage.

I think that deserves to be followed with an "Oh, snap!"

Consignment Shopping.

Another lesson learned last night at the consignment sale. I've been to enough of these to have known by now to;

1) Take a clothes basket even if you don't think you'll get much, cuz you probably will get 'much'

2) Take a calculator so you don't have to stand there adding in your head over and over trying to not look like you're adding in your head over and over.

3) Take a tape measure so you don't waste 30 minutes trying to decide if something will be way too short

AND the hard lesson learned this time

4) COUNT YOUR ITEMS before they do cuz you might not leave with those brand new adorable striped mittens and hat from The Children's Place that you thought were in your pile. :(

Diaperbag Blues.

Ok, so I'm getting a hang on packing or over packing my diaper bag when we're out with the girls. I know now, lots of wipes, plenty of diapers and burp clothes and a change of clothes for them, but I learned today that Mama may need a change of clothes too after one explosive poopy diaper from sweet Clara from which she was unscathed. So, just throw an extra t-shirt in the car when you leave next time...just in case.

Getting stuff done.

Why does it surprise me when something finally "dawns" on me? I've been a mama for 13 months now, seems like a long time, but boy am I still a "newbie". Of course I'm still gonna have to figure things out! It's just odd that something so simple that would have been so helpful all along failed to come to mind, then one day it does. I suppose that's why our mamas are the experts we turn to for everything. They've been mamas for a long time and had their little "epiphanies" long ago.

In an attempt to keep our house clean PC (pre-Clara) I was dividing up the tasks a little bit each day. Tuesdays "Floor" days (mopping, vacuuming), Wednesdays "Laundry" etc. But the problem has been missing a day, then I tend to get all backed up and inevitably the bathrooms or our bedroom does not get cleaned...for weeks, okay, months. Now that I'm a little busier I'm still trying to stick to that schedule but way less actually gets done. I've got a long list of things that I "will get to" that never get gotten to. I just feel so much better when the house is neater and I know the floors and bathrooms are clean. Unfortunately I have to pick what gets cleaned and what can wait. Thus the build up. So I've finally asked Leanna to watch the girls for me once a week for a few hours while I get these done. It just doesn't work if I try during nap time.
Today was the first day Leanna came to watch the girls. I did get some stuff done, but I think it will be better if she takes them to her house next week. I'm so thankful to have someone so near by that loves my babies like a grandma and is willing and able to help me out anytime I need her. The Munderlohs are such a blessing to both me and Phil.

Little lesson.

It's important to always have a large and well organized diaper bag with you when away from home for long periods of time. Make sure this large well organized bag is stocked with not only size 4 diapers but with Newborn as well. Also please be sure to include at least one change of clothing for each child in the event that both children spring massive leaks and have large spit ups on the changing table.

*Note with a little folding in key places a size 4 diaper will fit newborn.
And oh yeah, make sure you have more than 3 wipes before you leave the house as well.

Next months Life Improvement Purchase:

Skip Hop Duo Double Deluxe Edition Diaper Bag