Today I woke up ready to tackle things. 

I love when I wake up like that cause it isn't as often these days. 

Honestly this last week has been very draining and discouraging. We just aren't seeing progress with our daughter's healing and these past few days were particularly bad. Her hiccups were relentless for days and her poor tummy was so tired. Is there anything worse than watching your kid suffer and being helpless to stop it. ARG!

But they went away praise God around midnight so this morning I wanted to finally refill our fridge (it was sadllllly empty haha, I caught my poor hubby trying to make a pb and j on a corn tortilla today!) Plus I thought it would be fun to Christmas shop at Walmart with the kiddos. I forgot Walmart and Fun hardly ever go together, right? Why is it! I always go in there all ready to conquer my list and almost always leave feeling frazzled. I think it's because I realize I forgot something but don't want to walk another mile across the store! 

But this morning I blasted the Christmas music with my kids and was ready! I even put my ugly tennis shoes on ---- not a window shopping trip !!!! 

Walmart went almost seamlessly, of course I forgot several things (why do I even make a list?!) but my kids were awesome rock stars! Since we were right next to Chick Fil A I figured we could grab lunch and I would let the kids run on the play structure. Of course functioning with Juliana's new food restrictions has really been challenging. I have to always have something with me she can have - which usually means I need to have made it from 10 different kinds of flours -- but I looked online ahead of time and saw that they have this cool allergy chart for Chick fil A and it said the grilled chicken was soy, wheat, etc free. So I definitely hyped it up and she was excited (obviously I learned not to do that again lol), because when I got there and saw ALL the ingredients for them soy was definitely in there. This really frustrated me but lets not go into that lol. She happily enjoyed her fries and fruit cup. 

William decided to have an explosive diaper in the play structure. Let me first say I NEVER.....NEVER go anywhere without complete sets of clothes for both my kids. They are always in the bag and usually more in my car because it's a mess. I do not know what happened but I had nothing at all. Obviously we cleaned up and rushed off the structure (don't forget the crying 3 year old cause we now have to leave right away) to change him. I will spare you non-parents the details. But just imagine flowing poop everywhere and on everything. YEP! This girl pulled up next to my car where I was cleaning him up and clothes and wipes are falling out of the car and she gave me a great pity look :/ 

Then comes the fun part where I realize there is nothing in that whole care for him to wear and we still have 2 places to go. We live 30 minutes from all these stores so there is no going home. So he ended up in a pair of his sisters mud covered polka dot tights that I found in the car pocket. And off we went to costco haha!

(my son's awesome attire)

Costco. is. a. zoo. Do not got there unless it's 10 am! I felt super on it as I checked ingredients on everything and then forgot to grab half of them (again....yep!) A few people also laughed at his tights but who cares LOL!

(you can sense the exasperation in this one:) 

We got to hold up the entire food line while they got the box for their "fruit" smoothie so I could see the ingredients.........just because I want to make 20 angry Christmas shoppers behind me hate me even more than they already do cause my kids are freaking out :)

(This is line to LEAVE Costco!)

Moral of the story, take clothes everywhere with you and maybe don't go to 4 places in one morning. 

But look at this full fridge! Beauty!!

Honestly even though crazy, I loved this day. It was normal. I have been learning to appreciate the normal parent struggles of having kids instead of the isolating ones we have been facing lately where we are always at some kind of test or doctors office. Today was great :) Kids are awesome :)  

Talking with a toddler

This kind of conversation happens nearly every moment of every day around here. I have a not very verbal 2 year old, which can be challenging at times, but these simple, ridiculous, aggravating at times conversations will be gone soon LOL -- I hope?

When lunch is over and she watches one Justin Time, this is how things usually go down......

"OK it's naptime! Let grab your water and go in your room"
"no"
"Remember we don't say no to mommy, please choose to obey and grab your water"

like watching a glacier move I stand and wait for her to move the 2 ft from the couch to her doorway. At last we have made it to the door and I can encourage her all the long way to the bed. 

"Good job, lets get in bed and read a book"
"oh! my shoes!"

"It's ok we don't need shoes right now, how about you choose a book"

"um, ee hee (ok)"

We now move two steps closer to the bed. So close and yet so far. I make the mistake of going to the bed -- a whole 4 steps in front of her and now I can't have that gentle hand on the back of her head to keep her moving. 

"Keep moving please lets grab a book and get in bed"

"oh! my shoes!"

"We don't really need shoes on for bed"

"my white shoes!

 "We don't NEED shoes in bed but would you like to hold them in bed with you?"

"uh huh"

I dash to the closet and grab "the shoes" I know she is referring to. I put then near her pillow and plop her on the bed. Finally, IN bed. The deed in almost done. 

"Alright we have got your shoes, water and book. Let read!"

I begin to open the book...

"NOOOOOOOO shoes"

She throws them off the bed. 

"Girly, you asked me to get your shoes. Please do not throw them off the bed. Say no thank you shoes instead".

"no"

"{sigh} Please do not say no, just say no thank you"

"no tank oo"

We finally read the book. I skip a few pages and she notices, so I go back again. We pray. We hug. I get up and begin to walk out. Freedom is SO close! 

"mama, shoes!!!!"

"Juliana, you said you didn't want your shoes. If you want them you can grab them from the floor"

"No mama do it"

"You do not need me to get your shoes, please get up and get them yourself."

Oh no. I just gave her the go ahead to get out of bed and before I can just grab the stinkin shoes for her she is up and out. Trying to stay on top of it I add:

"Ok great you got your shoes get back in bed!"

"Oh! My tutu too!!"

"No lets just get in bed you have your shoes"

"no tutu mm shoes too peas!!!!!"

I dash back in, grab the pink fluffy tutu from the closet, grab her and lay her down with shoes, tutu, water, and book before we have to start the process all over again.

"I love you, close your eyes love bug!"

"Noooooo shoes!"

She throws them and everything else off the bed. Then I debate about going back in for discipline and learning lessons or closing the door..... :) 

This was my last 15 minutes :) Sound familiar ? Haha gotta love 2 year olds. 

It's just ONE day :)

I know everyday can't be like this, but ahhhhhh I love these kinds of days. After an incredibly busy weekend and even busier Monday, I decided as I crawled into bed at 1130 last night that today would be a complete rest day with my babes. (I wish baby boy had gotten the memo and not woken up over 6 times to nurse.....yes he is 8 months not 8 weeks)

So I got to do something today that I don't normally get to do and that was literally play with my kiddos all day long! I know this can't be an everyday reality, we have things we need to do and although we do our best as mama's to juggle it, I end up usually feeling drained one way or the other from needing to be 5 different places at once. I always wish I could not worry about the dishes, dinner, laundry, cleaning, lists, etc and just sit and play for a whole day. I have read a lot of posts lately urging women to put down their lists and just sit with their kids and I wholeheartedly agree! But I think even if you set out to do just that, the reality is that your kids and husband get hungry -- so you need to unload the dishwasher so that you can get the cutting board to chop stuff for dinner, oh but then you need that pan that you left in the sink so that you could, ya know, be a good mom and spend time with your kids instead of always cleaning, so you wash that one and soon need something else so end up just washing the whole sink full, and before you know it kids are pulling on you asking to play trains and you feel again that struggle in your heart! How do I do both! I also recently enjoyed this article about it not being your job as a mom to entertain your kids all day and I love that. I can remember countless times my mom telling me to go play outside cause she needed to cook or lesson plan or whatever and I DIDN'T DIE!

So obviously it is all about balance. 

As is everything in life, but this means that I can't sit and scroll facebook or instagram all day while ignoring my kids, but I also need to be ok with telling my girly to go play so that I can clean up the messy kitchen from our forts made that morning. 

I enjoyed today SO much. I loved being able to take time and watch my 2 year old build her block towers and see her little mind working. I loved being able to enjoy playing with them instead of thinking "oh! They are both entertained happily I should DO something really fast!" 

We played trains and cars, we painted and used a whole sheet of stickers, we filled the kiddy pool and layed in the sun, we had smoothies and made bread together (paleo of course lol), we napped and went for a walk and it was a great day! 

 I think I'll make it something I do once a month :) 

Have you ever done this?