motherhood – Page 13 – Sunshine and Holly

Easy Kid’s Valentine’s Day Thumbprint Craft

By sunshineandholly on January 10, 2018

You know me – this #lazymom is always looking for quick and simple crafts to do with the kiddos. And this easy kid’s Valentine’s Day thumbprint craft was perfect to kill some time one cold and rainy afternoon. The kids loved it, it was easy to make (and clean up), and the finished product is cute enough to use as decor around the house! The most difficult part of the whole craft was getting Maddie to pose for a picture with the finished product. Girlfriend hates having her picture taken these days…

Easy Kid’s Valentine’s Day Thumbprint Craft

All you’ll need is a white canvas or some cardstock, scissors, tape (double-sided would probably work better), paint, and some extra paper to use for the hearts.

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family | motherhood | Motherhood Humor | parenting

Our Trip to the Emergency Room

By sunshineandholly on January 2, 2018

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One morning a few weeks ago I was busy packing lunches in the kitchen and the kids we’re playing together in our playroom. Just as I finish zipping up the lunch boxes, Graham comes running in the kitchen and tells me that Maddie has a ring stuck on her finger.

When she walks in, I see that it’s not a ring, but a grommet (like a washer for a bolt) that’s stuck tight on her pinkie finger.

I roll my eyes, and tell her not to put things like that on her finger. I sit down, and try to pull it off. No-go. She screams like a feral cat when I pull. So I grab some Vaseline and try again. Nope. More screaming – like I’m cutting off her finger. And the grommet doesn’t budge. It’s stuck.

I try to keep my cool, but I can feel the anxiety building in my chest. It was the last day of a long week. I had a manicure planned for the morning, and a lunch with friends scheduled for 11am. But I knew none of that was going to happen that morning.

I called Josh, and asked him what I should do. He said to try to wrap some floss around the finger, as close to the grommet as possible so I could make the finger smaller and be able to pull the grommet off. It worked once on YouTube! I tried that, but it was a huge, peppermint scented mess. It didn’t work at all, and Maddie was screaming and crying even more.

I called the pediatrician, and the conversation went like this:

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My Real Christmas Wish List

By sunshineandholly on December 1, 2017

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It’s finally December! Time to start making our lists and checking them twice. Have you started your Christmas shopping? What’s on your list this year?

As for my Christmas wish list, sure, new clothes, makeup, jewelry, cooking tools, and home decor would be great. But you know what I really want? Here’s my real Christmas wish list.

1. A live-in maid.

I’m currently typing up this post at my kitchen table while Maddie colors beside me. There’s a half eaten banana, with peel sitting to my right. 5 dirty tissues to my left. A bunch of markers with the tops left off behind the laptop. And an empty juice box, 4 Cherrios, about 6 smushed Cherrios, and a piece of dried up mac and cheese on the floor. #gross #reallife It’ll all get cleaned up eventually, but it sure would be nice if someone else would do it…

2. A Disney Vacation Club Membership

You guys know I’m a huge Disney nerd. I love that magical place where all your dreams come true. I wish we could have season tickets and go a bunch all year long. Or own a Disney Vacation Club membership. That would be my dream gift!

3. A Personal Trainer with Babysitting Services

This one might be the most realistic thing on my list. I’m still not completely happy with where my “mom bod” is right now. I have a million excuses, but the biggest one is that I hate taking time out of my kid-free mornings to work out. So a personal trainer would be great, but I only want one that will also have someone to babysit my kids.

4. A Magical Immunity Pill

I’ve been sick twice the last two weeks. My kids have also already been sick a couple of times this fall. I wish there was a magical pill we could all take that would prevent us all from getting sick. (Yes, we use oils, but someone always still seems to catch something!)

5. A Later Wake Up Time

My kids used to sleep until at least 7am. But lately, my daughter has been thinking that 6am is a better wake up time. We’ve got the “ok to wake clock,” but, she’s a three-year-old, so you know how well that works for her. It does work for my 5-year-old, though. Unless his sister wakes up first. Just that one extra hour in the morning would be glorious.

Ok, Santa. My list is a tough one. Think you can make any of it happen?

What do you REALLY want for Christmas?

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family | fun | motherhood | Motherhood Humor

Move Over Regina George, My Three-Year-Old is a Mean Girl

By sunshineandholly on November 27, 2017

We all know toddlers are tough. The “terrible twos” and “threenagers” can have even the most patient and calm mama pulling out her hair. My son, especially, was a defiant, manipulative, and aggressive two-year-old. And those were his good traits! (I’m kidding. He was difficult, but he’s now the sweetest preschooler you’ll ever meet.)

My daughter was still sweet when she was two. The “terrible twos” didn’t apply to her. Yes, she had her fair share of tantrums. But all-in-all, she was still cute and cuddly.

But now that she’s three? Holy cow! Move over Regina George, my three-year-old is a mean girl! Don’t be fooled – she may seem like your typical, sassy three-year-old, but in reality, she’s so much more than that. She’s the queen bee – the star, and the rest of us are just her little workers.

Luckily, my daughter is still super cute. So I guess I’ll keep her around. But, of course, any time I tell her she’s cute or that she’s being a sweet girl, she looks at me, judging and thinking, “Why are you so obsessed with me?”

She recently gave up naps. I tried to push them for a while, because by bedtime, she was acting crazy tired. But after a few days of her looking at me with that sassy look that seemed to say, “Mama, quit trying to make naps happen. It’s not going to happen!” I gave up on the naps.

Luckily she doesn’t know how to read and write, because I would totally be in her burn book. My page would read, “My mama is a pusher. A sad old nap pusher!”

Here are some other reasons my three-year-old is a mean girl:

She wears pink on Wednesdays.

And every other day. And don’t forget her tiara.

She has her own entourage.

Just like Regina had the plastics. Maddie has the plushies.

She stabs me in the back.

Must be something to do with all those episodes of Dexter I binge-watched while I was pregnant with her.

She spreads lies.

No, I didn’t say you could have cookies and ice cream for lunch.

She walks all over people.

Literally. She thinks I’m a playground.

She’s a bully.

She teases me, calls me names, and threatens me. Good thing she’s only 3 feet tall or I might actually be a little scared of her.

So how many of you have felt personally victimized by your three-year-old? Well, just know you’re not alone. They can be mean.

At least they’re cute!

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10 Simple Tips to Survive Solo Parenting When Your Spouse is Traveling

By sunshineandholly on November 20, 2017

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Solo parenting isn’t for the weak. Single parents, military parents – they’re my heroes. I have no idea how they do it. They really are super moms and super dads!

When you’re solo parenting, everything falls on you. There’s no one there to help with the chores, help with the kids, or even keep you company at night. The days I’m solo parenting are long, stressful, exhausting, anxiety-filled, lonely days. And the nights? They’re pretty miserable. Luckily, my husband doesn’t travel too much. Usually just 2-3 days every other week. I can’t imagine what it would be like if he was gone months at a time.

Since he’s started traveling, I’ve figured out a few tricks and tips that have helped me while he’s gone. So if your husband or wife is about to head out on a business trip, check out these 10 simple tips to survive solo parenting when your spouse is traveling.

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