Stop. Look. Listen...

The other day, I was smack dab in the middle of my daily morning battle with Small to brush his teeth.

That fight is really. getting. old.

Big, on the other hand, was busily getting ready for school... dressed, breakfast, lunch, backpack, teeth brushed...seriously...I'm grateful for that kid!

...until he threw his backpack down the stairs and hit me square in the back of the head!!

Not to mention that I was just about to Full Nelson Small to ground and jam the tooth brush in his mouth!!!

Ok, I wasn't really...

I mean, we've grown out of that phase.

...for the most part...

THANK GOD!!!!

But,   I was pretty much done like dinner on the tooth brush battle.

Have I mentioned how annoying brushing Small's teeth is every morning???

Just checking...


So, as I turned around to almost rage at Big for pummelling me with his backpack, I managed...through gritted teeth...to say, "GET. IN. THE. CAR!!!"

He did.  No questions asked.  Smart kid!!  I think he even muttered an apology on the way past me.

After another 5 or so minutes of the teeth battle, I finally got Small in the car.

Phewf!!!  Another day, done!!

I went around to Big's seat to check his buckles and he said to me, "Mommy, I'm sorry I didn't get in the car really fast.  I stopped to listen to the birdies singing for a little bit."

And it all just stopped right there.

What??  There are birdies singing??  I can't hear them over the blood pounding in my head!

So, in that moment, I took a deep breath and said, "You know what, buddy?  Why don't we all just stop and listen to the birdies sing for a minute!"

And we did!!

Well, as much as you can hear them sing over Small constant yelling, "I can't hear the birdies, mommy!  Where are the birdies??  What song are they singing??  How come I can't hear them mommy?"

But the point was...we stopped.  For a moment.  And listened to some birds....together....




And then we got back in the car and raced to school because we were SOOOOOOOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



But it was SOOOOOOOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I hope you take a moment and listen to the birds today :)

Food Fight?? Not quite!

A few weeks ago, my hubbie and I were talking about how we should get the kids to start doing chores around the house.  They are pretty good at cleaning up their toys (when we threaten bribe ask them to), they sometimes put their dishes in the dishwasher and they sometimes make their bed in the morning.  But they definitely could be pulling more weight around the house.

Big didn't hear us having this conversation but literally two days later, he said, "Mommy, I think I should start making my own lunches for school!"  Well, heck!  That was going to be the first chore I was going to make ask him to do!  So much easier when it's his idea!!!

Every day since then, he has not only made his lunch at night, he has also packed it in the morning, packed his backpack and he even loads all his stuff for school into the car.  I just say in the morning, "Have you got everything you need for school?"  He lists off his sweater, his lunch, his backpack, his jacket....CHECK!!  "It's all in the car, mommy!"

I swear...that kid could raise himself!