Mom Code Monday: Nap Time

Disclaimer:  The writer does not necessarily believe comments below nor abide by them, use your common sense and doctor's recommendations when needed.


 
So I'm a day late and a dollar short, story of my life.  I wanted to start something called "Mom Code Monday."  One day while watching tv I decided to watch a show on MTV called "Girl Code."  What a great decision that was for my life, that show is hilarious!  The show is talking mostly about younger, single girls, but it is still funny and fitting most of the time.  After watching an episode one night, I thought that it would be fun to have a "Mom Code" show for those who are mothers.

Nap Time: should be defined as that quick, quiet part of your day where you are in heaven.  I take it upon myself to sit and eat some lunch that is mine, and mine alone, and do nothing.  Now don't get me wrong, I feel guilty for being a stay at home mom and sitting around, but it makes my day that much better when I can catch a little break and not be screamed at for a while.  You can eat chocolate or ice cream by yourself, watch whatever trashy show you want, read a magazine, sit on your social media website of choice, take a nap yourself, or if you want to be an over achiever, clean.  (I used to be like that for a small period of time until I realized I was wasting sacred time!)

Nap time is the most precious time of the day but can be the most aggravating as well.  These aggravations can include but are not limited to:
-Your child throwing a humongous fit protesting said nap time.
-Your child laying down but not staying down, and the fight that ensues.
-Your child napping for a shorter nap period than normal.
-Any noise that may make that child wake up, particularly the FedEx/UPS man who I swear must only work during the "napping hour."
-You hearing a noise and thinking your child is out of bed again, going to check on them only to find them asleep, and you waking them up.
-Having to straight up wake your child up to go do something on your agenda.  (If I have to do that, I wait until the last possible moment to prolong the scary movie that becomes my life if I wake up my child.)

Solutions to above aggravations:
-Find your child's fitting nap time routine and time of day. (Look for signs such as yawning, rubbing of the eyes, silence with them staring into space, over abundance of energy, and them crying about absolutely everything.)
-Threats. If your child will lay down but not stay down, threaten them with everything you can think of including taking favorite snacks or toys away.
-Bribes.  Bribe the heck out of it!  Promise that child the world as long as they take a nap but then act dumbfounded when they bring up the bribe after their nap.
-Drug them.  You want your child to take a guaranteed long nap every time?  Benadryl or cough syrup will be your best friend unless your child is not affected by it, then good luck. (Sometimes you get a child who actually goes berserk on Benadryl or cough medicine, and I feel badly for parents of those children.)
-Put a nice note on your door stating that a child is sleeping inside so please don't knock or hit the door bell. If the UPS guy continues to push the door bell after the nice note you put up, record your child screaming when they haven't had a full nap, and answer the door with that recording at the highest volume possible.  They'll get the hint.
-Trust that your child is asleep until they come to you after "waking up."  The only downside to that one is if your child was actually awake for a while and decided to do something like layering the corn starch and a full pack of wipes in their closet.
And lastly....
-Plan your life around nap time and give yourself ample time on the off chance the child sleeps longer than normal.  They don't say "never wake a sleeping baby" for no reason, abide by that rule!

"Fudge Brownies"

The other day I needed some chocolate and we had none in the house with no hope of going shopping in the very near future.  Since I've been staying home, I try to use what we have in the house instead of going to the store whenever I "need" something.  I was able to find a recipe that I already had the ingredients for.  It comes from cookbook from my grandma's church called "Treasured Recipes."

From the kitchen of Dorthy Rohland:
2/3 cup oil                                       2 cups sugar
4 eggs beaten                                  3/4 cups cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla                                    1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/3 cups flour                               1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to combined dry ingredients.  Do not overmix.  Spread into a 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Yield: 23 brownies.


Pretty close to what comes from a box huh?  Now you may be thinking that there is no way you can make anything from scratch.  Just remember that practice makes perfect.  I mess up all the time when making things from scratch, you live and you learn.  Tonight I made frosting for my brownies and ended up with cocoa powder all down my clothes and all over the counter!  Oops! :)

Being Late to Lose My Mind

When I heard the phrase "pregnancy brain," I thought it was a joke.  Being pregnant could seriously make you forget everything all the time?  Although I never really experienced the pregnancy brain deal so I still don't know how that feels, I now have an acute case of "Mommy of Two Brain."

I don't know if that is even a thing, but it sure should be.  No one ever told me that a side effect of having two kids would be forgetting everything and I mean EVERYTHING!  I can't remember basic things, heck, I'm happy if I remember my kids' names. There have been multiple instances where I went to fill my water bottle from the water dispenser in our refrigerator, and then gone on to do something else while it fills.  Just to come back to a large puddle on my floor and water pouring out of the top of my water bottle.  Oops!  I was at my parents' house last week and put some food on a pan for lunch and thought I put it in the oven. I went to put some clothes in the washer, come back and there is the pan still on the counter! Ugh...

Perfect example: I've been thinking for days of what to write on here and various times where I've forgotten things I didn't forget before, and now I can't think of those things.

The other thing I never really understood about being a parent, was punctuality.  Why couldn't people with kids ever show up to things on time? Work, meetings, outings, appointments...How come parents can't get it together in time to be at the designated place at a designated time.

Then boom I had my first child and was happy if I made it anywhere on time!  No matter how early I got up and got the both of us ready, I was late for work most days.  (Thank goodness I had kind of set my own hours with my boss so it wasn't too much of a big deal that I was a few minutes late, as long as I got my work done.) I was becoming that person who couldn't show up on time when I had generally been 10-15 minutes early for work before having my son.

Let's make matters worse and add another child into the mix. Now I really can't make it anywhere on time.  It never fails, I'm all ready to be on time and get out the door, and then I realize I forgot something or my daughter throws up all over and I have to go change her.  The norm for her is to poop after I've got her in the car seat and am literally walking out the door or just seconds away from doing so.

I am ecstatic when get somewhere early or even on time.  I've found that I can boost my ego in this area of my life by making plans with other parents.  If they show up later than me (even if I'm late), I am golden!