Mom Diaries: May 14, 2022

May 14, 2022May 13, 2022 MariaLeave a comment

Our biggest obstacle the last two weeks had very little to do with the tiny 2-legged creatures in our house, and much more to do with the fluffy 4-legged one. On May 1 I noticed that Chester had some ‘flea dirt’ and went into full on Rambo mode. So much more laundry and vacuuming than usual, as well as dog baths and multiple brushings a day. I also got a carpet cleaner and diatomaceous earth to make sure we were getting every possible egg, pupae, larvae, and adult.

This has been a great opportunity to teach about caring for pets.

How is this parenting related, you may ask? Well, the answer is twofold. As adults, the daily household chores generally fall onto us, so having 2x as much laundry & vacuuming was exhausting. Also, my preoccupation with getting/keeping the house sanitized meant I had less energy and attention for Ted & Jr. They were champions at first, but by last weekend they were over it & very clingy.

Parenting is a balancing act of all of the things that need to be done. Check out last week’s post about quality time for more on that. The last few weeks, the scales have tipped in Chester’s favor, because his needs were a priority. Soon it will balance back out and things will feel normal again soon.

Ted loves using his binoculars to look at the trees wherever we go.

In the meantime, we are trying to spend as much time in the backyard as we can. The boys will play in the dirt, or the kiddie pool, while I read a book. It has been great for all of us to spend time in the sunshine & fresh air, while still being close enough to a bathroom, water source, and occasional air conditioning breaks.

May in Houston has H-O-T hot. I keep reminding myself that we are only here for another month or so, then we will (hopefully) be somewhere cooler, or at least less humid.

The Mom Diaries

Mom Diaries: April 30, 2022

April 30, 2022May 5, 2022 MariaLeave a comment

In this series I will be sharing the current challenges I am facing as a mom of an (almost) 4 year old and (almost) 2 year old.

The last 2 months have been the first time in my life that I am a SAHM with both kids home full time. Last year when Michael was deployed, Ted was enrolled in an Early PreK program, so I only had Jr at home. So this has been a whole new world for all of us. There was definitely a learning curve, which is why I took a few months off, but now that we’ve found our groove, we’re ready to go!

Our most recent adventure has been potty learning. Yikes. I kept putting it off and putting it off, even though Ted showed signs of readiness before we moved to Texas, because I knew we had SO MANY changes coming and I didn’t want to be constantly dealing with regressions and feeling like we were failing. But after a new brother, moving, Michael deploying, starting a new school, moving again, Michael coming home, Michael leaving again, and another move coming up, I decided that it was not worth waiting for stability because we’d be waiting forever. Overall, it’s going well. Jr is also very interested, even though he isn’t quite ready yet. But we’re rolling with it and involving him in the process as much as possible.

This week we (by we I mean, I) implemented some new routines/goals around the house. It has helped tremendously to have the house in better shape. My goals are to do a complete load (wash, dry, put away) of dishes and laundry every day. I have struggled with this because with only 3 people (do the toddlers count?) we don’t make a ton of dishes or a ton of laundry each day. So I got into the habit of waiting until everything was full before I washed it. This became a problem on the days were I was overwhelmed, tired, or just plain ol’ ran out of time to get it done when it NEEDED to be done. Then it was intimidating knowing there was SO MUCH that was piled up. Now, even if the dishwasher is only half full, I run it every evening. This has allowed our kitchen to be a more hospitable place, where we (I) want to cook. It also frees up my brain space to do more with the boys. I have found myself to be a better mother because I am less stressed. Surprise, surprise.

We have been making a point to spend as much time as we can outside every day. It is getting to the point, in Houston, where the unbearable heat/humidity of summer is quickly approaching. We go on walks, go to the park, or play in the backyard every day. We’re even planning a picnic lunch for next week! The benefits of getting outside are innumerable. So far this year we have logged 94 hours outside, using the 1000 Hour app. I admit that I’m not the best about filling it in every day, so we probably have more. My goal for is 750 hours for the whole year, which is just over 2 hours a day. We easily hit more than that on days that we are at the zoo, at the park with friends, or swimming at Grandma & Grandpa’s house. But there are days where we are lounge, or it’s storming, so we don’t get outside much, if at all.

I am excited to share more of our everyday adventures with you here! Mom Diaries posts will be every other week, so I’ll see you here in May!

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Cloth Diapers

February 1, 2022January 12, 2022 MariaLeave a comment

Cloth diapers are making a comeback! As we become more aware of how our decisions impact the environment, and the prices of disposables go through the roof, it makes more sense for us to find ways to save (both money & the Earth!) Not to mention that modern design has made them SO much easier to use than pass generations.

Less than 1 month old Ted was drowning in the adjustable cloth diaper.

We used cloth diapers with Ted starting around 3 months until he was about 2 years old. These worked wonderfully, and we still use them now. However, they were too bulky for when he was a newborn, so until he grew out of size 1 diapers, they were too big. Other brands do make small cloth diapers, so you can go 100% cloth, if you want!

We didn’t cloth nearly as much with Jr, due to sharing a washing machine most of his first year. We have kept out stash and are trying to phase in more cloth diapers now that we are back in our own house. Switching back to cloth has also been helpful as Ted is learning how to use the potty. We are able to do a full load of potty laundry, and it calms my frustrations about accidents and all of the additional laundry.

Let’s talk about overnight. We tried. Double stuffed the diapers, changed him right before bed, and first thing in the morning, but despite everything we tried, it still leaked. So we used disposables at night, and any time we were traveling long distances. This was for our own convenience, and it worked for us.

The parenting advice you will hear me say over and over is do what works for you and your family. It is a uniquely personal journey.

What other questions do you have about cloth diapering? Do you have any experience with it? Share in the comments!