Our little girl is growing up

She sure is.

She is beginning to talk about serious things
and ask hard questions.
which I reserve the right to defer to her daddy…
some of these questions are way above my pay grade



Her latest hang-up is over getting old and dying….

 

Me—Well, we all die.  But hopefully you won’t die until you are old.  Like really old… married and with babies, and grandbabies of your own.

Episode over… right?
Oh no…I made it worse.

Charlotte--But I don’t want to grow up, or get married or ever have children.  I just want to be a kid forever. 
(insert drama and lots of tears… 
                throwing herself on the couch weeping)

 
She had one of these episodes one night where she asked me if I was going to die… Since we are not supporters of lying to our children about these sorts of things, I explained the reality of death again…and that yes I would die. But God willing, it would be when I am an OLD OLD woman. 

Her concern…

 But if you die, who will cook our dinner?

Let’s just say I had to bite my tongue not to say something really mean to her. Really?  Is that all I am worth?  Dinner?

 

Our most recent deep convo was about marriage.
Light preschool dinner conversation, huh?
When I grow up I am going to marry Carson 

We’ll save that llama-drama meltdown for another day…
when I have time to explain the reasons of why she
cannot marry her brother. 

~~~~

Oh, deep thinker, at the ripe old age of 4.
How am I going to keep up with all your hard questions?
~~~~
And how on earth did we get from here….
 
to here

 
You’re growing up…
And this Mama Llama is trying to keep up with you

 

So, how do you answer the hard questions from your children?
Do you skirt the issue, or lay it out straight. 
How do you address their inability to handle the truth?

Mommy Hangover

 

Please excuse me.
             No… I haven’t been drinking.

Yes… I promise I did graduate high school. 

I even graduated college.

I once had a brain. 

I once could sleep for more than 4 hours without being woken up.

I once could actually shower in the morning, and go to the bathroom without a cheering section…or a small child actually on my lap.

I used to have significant things to say--- about significant matters.

I promise I used to be more Spiritual.

but now…

 

Now, I am just sorry. 

If I can’t seem to put together an intelligent sentence…please don’t judge me.  I promise I do have something to say…I just can’t remember even simple words sometimes.

If I don’t keep eye contact the whole conversation… it is not that i don’t care what you are saying… I just need to make sure my 3 little llamas are still alive and in the building.

And If I walk by you and am in a groggy daze…
             Really, I haven’t been drinking.  
                                         And I am not ignoring you. 

I just have a mommy hangover.  

And I probably just drove the entire way here listening to 
            “mama, mommy, ma-ma-ma, Mommmmmmie, 
              MAH- meeee”

I am a recovering mommy….
                 though I am not sure I am recovering…
                                         or if I ever will recover. 

And though it’s definitely taken it’s toll on my mind and body…
 I am not sure I want to recover. 
      Cause this whole “mommy brain” is totally worth it.
                  

 
So, do you have any home remedies out there
for a Mommy Hangover??

Other than the 3 cups of coffee I have already had this morning.

What do you get....

When you mix an inoccent (BPA Free,of course) sippy cup

and....

A NOT so innocent 2 Year old who is almost always up to no good.

You get...
One VERY angry sister.

With a not so good looking bruise on the bridge of her nose.

She cried, screamed, pulled out all the dramatics.
(and I don't blame her.. it looks like it hurt!)

He laughed... then realized he was in BIG trouble.

Thankfully, they made up...

Because like Maya and Miguel...
(it's a PBS show, for all you WAY better moms who don't let your kids watch TV)
"They are brother and sister, and best friends as well"
Sure they are...really.

PS-- this all happened on one of my first outings out with all 3. We went to Walmart..but not for groceries.
Because I ordered my groceries online this week!
(ooooh, aaaaaah!!)
We went to get a canvas bin I had seen a while back
to keep all our stuffed animals in. Becasue I am SICK of stuffed animals in every room, conveniently placed in areas where I will most likely trip on them.

Little Llamas Losing Sleep! Mama Llama starts to Weep!

What is the magic trick to getting your children to sleep?

This pic of the clock is a big joke. In our house by 7:00, we have already had our early morning snack (breakfast isn't until 7:00) mommy has already had a cup of coffee (working on cup # 2 right now at 6:45), we have already been sent to our rooms a few times, they have demanded kid shows (no, way!). And that is our morning until 7:00.

So.. .We have sleep issues.

My rule is that we don't get up until 6:00. But We have been battling some night time sleep issues lately at night as well.

FYI For those of you with babies and no toddlers yet--That whole "sleep through the night" thing is a joke. Once they get in a big kid bed.. they wake up more than they did as babies!

Carson--- He wants to cuddle, he wants his blankee, he wants a train. I am fine getting up and handing him a blankee, patting his back and done. But no... this high maintenance llama will start a screaming rant for me to sleep with him. And scream that child can do until everyone in our house is awake and we are MAD.

Charlotte---we are trying to get her to stay in the Big Kid room. As we have a baby coming any day now, we need her sleeping in the Big Kid Room.

So...We resorted to bribery.

We told them that if Charlotte stays in bed all night and Carson has no screaming in the night they get a special Candy treat in the morning. Well, 2nd night and no candy for them. But we did make progress. Charlotte did stay in bed all night, and Carson didn't have any screaming fits. YEAH!

Then 5:13 rolled around...

I almost thought it said 6:13 and was so proud of my little llamas for sleeping the whole night with no incidents. I was prepared to walk in with a bag of Gummy bears singing Hallelujah Chorus! And then that second glance made me realize that the clock said 5:15! Carson was screaming "Breakfast time" and charlotte was screaming "I need a hairbow!"

Are you kidding me?? At 5:15???

I knew there was no hope to get them to go back to sleep.

Nice mommy quickly flew the coop and I sternly threatened them and told them that they must stay in their room with no screaming until 6:00. I actually think charlotte attempted to go back to sleep. But carson was perched on the edge of his bed the WHOLE time. Gripping every blankee and animal he had found in his bed... waiting for the timer to ring and the gates of heaven to open up.

So how do some of you do it? I hear some of you moms say "I just tell my kids they cannot come out until 7:00." Seriously...7:00? how do you just teach you children to do this? I am convinced that you all have much more compliant, calm, and easy going children than I do. Because this crazy herd of llamas wakes up with a vengeance. My strong willed, highly opinionated, dominant little toddlers are not ever going to sleep until 7:00.

So..what are your tips to my sleeping dillema??

Please post your tips in the comments and the lucky winner will get one overnight stay with my toddlers to put your plan into action! Just Kidding...that wouldn't quite be a prize now would it? But you will get the satisfaction of knowing that you helped Mama Llama out.

Baby Llama Stomps and Pouts... Baby Llama Jumps and Shouts!

So what do you do in these moments??

You see, Little Llama Carson obviously was having a "spit on this" moment. You see, Mama Llama is trying desperately to chronicle the sweet darling lives of her little llamas. And this little tantrum happened all because.... he wanted my camera.
I was simply trying to take a sweet picture of him doing this....

Now is that cute or what? He was making "bubbas".
See...we DO have creative play at my house!