I would like to take a moment and raise my wine glass to the stay at home mom. Especially the SAHM that has a child with special needs. Although if you have a ‘typical’ child like Allie that can numb your ear drums with her stories, my glass is up for you too.




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I am not sure how you do it. You are my hero. The girls have had an extended February vacation thanks to Nemo. I have played countless games of Sorry and Yatzee. I have tried to keep ahead of the mess that two children can make in under 5 minutes. I have tried, really tried, to keep Boo in a therapeutic environment.

I have failed. I have allowed more TV in the past 10 days than in the 9 years of Allie’s life. I think I can recite the words of every theme song on the Disney Channel. This morning Boo woke up and demanded “Charlie” (for Good Luck Charlie). It was 6am. I let her watch it on her IPAD.

Work has been an escape. Even if only for a couple of hours, work has allowed me some respite care.

There is only 4 days left until the girls return to their routine. I am starting to count down the minutes.

So I take a moment to raise my wine glass to the moms who survive the stay at home experience while maintaining their sanity. Cheers!

The girls have seperate bedrooms. To be honest, Boo’s room is technically our guest room with a toddler bed in the corner. When Boo was first born all Allie wanted to do was share her room. But with all of Boo’s issues it made sense to seperate them. Add to the fact that Boo didn’t sleep in her own room until she was almost two.

With their extended February vacation due to Nemo, Allie asked if she and Boo could have a sleep over in Boo’s room. I figured, sure why not? Of course, since Allie has a later bedtime their sleep over consisted of Boo going to bed and Allie following an hour or so (hey it’s extended vacation) later.

It was such a success every night since then Allie has asked to sleep over “at Boo’s Room”. How much of a success you ask (come on, you were going to ask)?  Because BOTH girls have been sleeping through the night. Through the night my friends!!!

And when Boo wakes up early, she has been seeing Allie sleep and lay back down. When Allie starts stirring, Boo crawls into bed and Allie doesn’t mind as long as it is close to 7AM. Allie then reads a story to Boo until the clock says 7:30 and Allie knows that means the TV can go on. They then leave Boo’s room and I get to shower in peace.

Allie has been making the bed since she is in the ‘guest’ bed and helping Boo make hers. This morning they rearranged Boo’s bed to be closer to Allie. Allie also placed a bench close to her ‘new’ bed so Boo could crawl in easier.

Because I know how easy Allie’s dream can shatter, I reminded her that this weekend and next we had company. This means the sleep overs will have to be interrupted. Allie asked if Boo could sleep in her room, which I nixed. Boo has proven in the past that she cannot fall asleep anywhere but her own bed, in her own room (yes, I have tried moving her bed into another room. Epic fail). When we have company I put Boo to sleep in her own bed and then move her to mine when she is sound asleep. To compromise with Allie I told her that I would move Boo to her room.

Always the thinker, Allie has a new plan:

I’m thinking if this helps you both sleep through the night AND I get to shower without interruption AND the beds get made without asking AND a playroom is supposed to be messy so I won’t be after Allie to clean her room all the time this is a win-win-win-win plan of Allie’s, right?

The girls are on February vacation….

Husband tries. He really does. He also manages to work every Valentines Day/Night. So I was not expecting much this morning. I woke up this morning to a card from him, “to my lovely wife” and a box of Lindor Chocolates. Now you have to understand, I LOVE Lindor chocolates. But I gave up chocolate for Lent so I figured he was just messing with me.

When I thanked him, but reminded everyone I gave up chocolate for Lent Allie replied:

Then I got a card from the girls. Except it wasn’t a card a daughter(s) give their mommy. It was a card that a husband would give his mother from him and his wife. Seriously, it said….”To My Devoted Mother from the Both of Us”.

It was signed: Allie, Boo, Husband and Bailey the Crazy Puppy. I asked her, why she signed everyone’s name and she replied: Well, I figured Daddy is kind of your kid too.

Ha, gotta love that girl!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

We do not generally get a lot of snow. So getting almost 3 feet of snow has been a novelty, even if it did shut down our area. But here are things I learned over the weekend:

My Allie is spoiled. We were part of the 5% in our town that never lost power, cable or internet. Allie: I’m bored.

Husbands are foolish. If you offer them a thermos of chowder or stew and they refuse to take it with them to work, they should not call you during the height of the storm to say they are hungry and expect sympathy.

Friends are easy to let go of. As I have written about before, Boo really hates snow. To the point that it is almost traumatic for her. When a “friend” suggested that I just put her in the snow and make her “deal with it” I realized some friends are worth it.

Friends are really easy to cultivate. Especially when you are in the 5% who have power 🙂

We are a spoiled generation. I offered hot showers, flushable toliets, heat, hot meals to everyone I know. What did most take me up on? Coming over to charge their lap tops, IPADS, cell phones and DVD players. I really wish some of them had taken me up on the offer of a shower.

Boo is really protective of Allie. Usually Allie looks out of Boo. But when Allie is out playing in the snow, Boo called to her to “OME ERE”. She wanted Allie inside where it was safe.

People are funny. The minute the driving ban was lifted, what did they do? Form a two mile line to Dunkin Donuts drive thru. You think I am kidding? They local D&D ran out of coffee.

My friends really like beer and wine. The ones that did come over to charge their electronics they managed to drink everything I had in the house. Next time I am charging a bottle of Pinot Grigio for every outlet that is used. Honestly, did they not get my memo about having the proper provisions? This is what happens when you concentrate on milk and bread rather than the essentials.

If you really want to get people crazy, during the height of a storm put this as your status on Facebook: Is anyone else craving Chinese food? (Yes, yes, I did!)
The girls really need to go back to school. I understand they cannot go if the school has no power. But to the power company, please make it a priority.

So long Nemo. Thanks for stopping by. It is time for you to go now. Like right now.

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Okay, there is only 3 days left. Go vote for Ninee!!! She just made the top 50 and totally deserves to make the top 10. http://www.circleofmoms.com//top25/Top-25-Funny-Moms-2013?trk=t25_Top-25-Funny-Moms-2013

 Proving my point that snow is puppy crack, you can see the powder on his nose!

Allie and Boo got a half-day due to the pending storm. Allie is a little upset that it is falling on a Friday night which means she won’t get to skip school tomorrow. Boo is screaming at the window “I NO LIKE” at the falling snowflakes. Puppy is acting like the snow is crack and is pacing with excitement. Husband, of course, is working. But not to worry! I’ve got the provisions for either the biggest storm of 2013 or PMS. The girls are really hoping it is a snow storm!

We have:

M&M’s

And of course,

So, sweet & salty are not covered

And the most important provision:

Barefoot makes me think of summer.

 Hope your house is stocked and everyone stays warm!

Disclaimer: The wine is not to be shared with the girls.

2nd Disclaimer: I am making the girls watch Nemo during Nemo. Who came up with the name of this storm anyway?I know, they say it is the Submarine Captain. But seriously, they didn’t think we would all make the jump to….

Sorry, this was too funny not to steal from a friend’s Facebook post!

Oh, and before I forget…did you vote for Ninee today? Come on people she is up to #54 and there is only 6 more days left! http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-Funny-Moms-2013?trk=t25_Top-25-Funny-Moms-2013#_

Boo got a report card. Now this would be funny even if she wasn’t Boo. Seriously, they did a report card (or progress report may be the new PC term) for a preschooler. In Boo’s case her report card from the preschool was just down right comical, with lots of exclamation marks (!). Here are some of my favorites:

• Draws or builds a planned construction: Boo stacked two blocks into a tower! (I really wanted to know if she was going to be an architect!)
• Knows that print carries a message (Reading Readiness): Enjoys story time!
• Knows her name: Boo knows her name but refuses to say it!
• Follows routine of the class: Boo is doing better with less redirection!
• Copies pre-writing shapes and letter like forms: blank. But the teacher wrote: Boo recently drew a straight line with help!
• Uses sentences to express ideas and feelings: (they circled “feelings”) Boo says, Don’t Like!
• Prosocial behavior/Uses thinking skills to relsolve conflicts: No Conflict!

Okay, really. She is in a class of 4 & 5 year old. Do they really need report cards in preschool?  I am all for academic readiness, but this is taking it a bit too far (although Allie wishes her report card was this easy).

What I loved about the report was that you could tell the teacher was trying really hard to be positive. There were so many blank spots where Boo just doesn’t have the skill. The teacher didn’t write “needs improvement” instead she left it blank and then wrote something sweet in that spot instead. Under knowing her name:

“Boo is stubborn about saying her name, since I do not like to lose battles I just don’t ask.”
 

And my favorite….She ended the report with this comment:

Which is code for: Boo is the only one not “graduating” to the kindergarten or pre-K next year. But apparently I am not the only one who is okay with that!


Oh and if you have a quick, quick moment please visit http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-Funny-Moms-2013?trk=t25_Top-25-Funny-Moms-2013#_ and vote for Finding Ninee. Right now she is at #59 but I think we can improve on her ranking, don’t you? She truly is one the funniest bloggers. You won’t be disappointed.

Last night I asked Allie, “Who loves you more than mom”

She replied (without a pause, mind you), “Auntie K. Plus she does crafts, which is a bonus!”.

I really should have know better!

I try not to vent about my husband here. First, the blog is supposed to be about Boo. Second, since he doesn’t read the blog it doesn’t seem fair to “out” him when he is being, well for lack of a better word, a man.

Lately Boo hasn’t been sleeping.  She goes to sleep fine but at least 4 times a week she awakens screaming. Sometimes it is her belly, sometimes she is congested, sometimes she is upset and sometimes she just wants to be held. She lures you in, she will go 2-3 weeks of sleeping through the night and then surprise we have a week of sleeping issues. It is definitely a cycle. One I am unsure how to break. But what astounds me that Husband can sleep through Boo (or Allie for that matter) crying in the night.

And I know for a fact my husband is not the only parent who can sleep through their child screams. I have a close friend whose child had a double-ear infection, was in the bed with them screaming and her husband snored through the experience!

Last night Husband didn’t wake up until I got back into the bed. No word of a lie, this was our conversation:

And he rolled over and went back to sleep! Yes, I am slightly jealous that one he can sleep through it and two that he can just roll right back over. Me? I was up for hours. And I am not the only one who goes through this, Boo’s speech therapist (a brand new mom) was wondering how her husband can sleep through the newborns cries. I told her welcome to the mom club.

I know, not all men sleep through their child screaming at the top of their lungs. But those men are in a minority. I would also like to meet one of them!