Keeping A Bunny Busy; Fun With Volume

Right now I'm going through what many a Mother has probably gone through.  The feeling that we're stuck in a rut.  We've established a good routine for ourselves and I am really happy about that, but I can't help fighting back the idea that Bunny is getting bored.  We run errands once or twice a week and I promise I'm going to muster up the courage to get her to the park by ourselves, but I can't help the feeling that the day-to-day for us is a bit bland. 

So today, I hopped over to this website, www.productiveparenting.com, and decided to shake things up a bit, literally. 

First, I got three of Bunny's empty, or almost-empty, Gerber Puff canisters.  These things are great!  I'm saving a few more to make an indoor bowling set for her as well.  I also got together some clear packaging tape, scissors, a Sharpie marker, and some pasta, rice, and salt.

The assembled supplies.

Once I had everything together, I removed the labels from the canisters (the scissors were absolutely necessary here) and labeled each one with the Sharpie.  The labels were "soft", "medium", and "loud".  (MM informed me that they should have read "quiet", "normal", and "loud".  He's probably right, but I'm not going to tell him that.  Wink, wink.)  The "soft" canister was then filled with about 1/4-cup of salt.  The "normal" canister was filled with about 1/4-cup of rice.  And finally, the "loud" canister was filled with about 1-cup of dried pasta.

Labeled and filled!

Once the canisters were labeled and filled, I carefully sealed the tops on with the clear packaging tape.  A more permanent solution would be to glue the lids on, but I would like to have the option to "undo" this in the future, so I went with tape.  (Please note: do not leave your child unattended while playing with these! The contents of the canisters are a choking hazard!!)

Then, it was time for Bunny to check them out.  Her first reaction was to knock them over and roll them around.

Once I got involved, though, she responded well to the shaking.  I would grab the "soft" canister and say "soft" in a quiet voice while shaking the salt to a beat.  She would dance with me, but in very small movements as if to say, "I'm being quiet, too!"  I would repeat the action with the "medium" and "loud" canisters and her movements would get progressively bigger.  By the end, she was whispering with the "soft" canister and screaming at the top of her lungs with the "loud" one.  By Jove, I think she gets it!!

Then she decided they were better drums.

 And then she took a turn shaking.

One HAPPY Bunny!

        
But the very best part was when Mommy stacked them up for her and she got to knock them down.  She LOVED that!!  Oh well, it was educational then, too.  I counted "one", "two", "three" as I was stacking and she squealed in anticipation every time I reached "three", then she swooped in and knocked them over.  Oh what fun for Mommy and Bunny!!

I love the Productive Parenting website and all the great ideas for parents needing to keep little ones busy.  What I like even better is that the activities are categorized by general age, so I was able to go right to her age and find a fun idea to implement.  I know I won't be able to accomplish (or afford) one a day, but I am going to shoot for at least one fun, new activity a week and I will definitely repeat the good ones throughout the weeks to come as well.

All in all, it was a great activity and a fun way for Bunny to learn about audio volume!!!  Maybe someday soon I'll be able to use it to teach her "indoor" and "outdoor" voices.              

These Happy Dog Days

Ahhhh, the dog days of summer.  I'm sure it's a known fact that my favorite time of year is Autumn, but these long, drawn-out summer days of summer are a blast, too.  We've been filling our days with fun splashing in the pool (well, on the weekends.  Mommy hasn't attempted anything that ambitious on her own yet), late Saturday morning breakfasts together, and lots and lots of cuddles.

Mommy and Bunny seem to be settling into a reasonable routine of not having a routine at all.  Everything I read says, "babies MUST have a routine!"  Everywhere I look, I see "routine, routine, schedule, routine."  Well, I hate to disappoint all the experts, but a routine doesn't seem "best" for us.  I follow B's cues and we seem to be enjoying a peaceful, happy life.  There's nothing in the world I want more.  

Most days start pretty late, after Daddy's left for work.  Mommy pumps while B watches her favorite show, Doc McStuffins.  After that, it's breakfast for both of us, and then a little floor time for play.  B loves to play on her own, but also crawls right over the second I sit on the floor for a joint play session.  After B's been up for 2 hours, she goes down for a nap.  Most of her morning naps are only 30 minutes long, but that's just enough time for Mommy to clean up the house and get some laundry started.  MM usually comes home for lunch during the "morning" nap, but B tends to wake up while he is still home.  After MM leaves, Mommy and Bunny eat a nice, leisurely lunch.  Bunny is completely self-feeding now and balks at the idea of being spoon-fed.  She eats pretty much anything we put on her tray, but she loves pasta, carrots, and peas the most.  After lunch, it's more play time, usually with some sort of educational aspect like reading a book or two, going over her signs, "reviewing" her flash cards, or just exploring shapes and colors with her toys.  If we have errands to run, though, this is the time we do them.  It's when she's happiest, although I do try to limit errand-running to one day a week for sanity's sake! When B starts yawning and rubbing her eyes, it's back to bed for her afternoon nap.  Her afternoon nap varies and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.  While she is napping, I work on the household chores or work on building my Thirty-One business.  After nap time, MM comes home and it's pretty much dinner, playtime with Daddy, bath time, then bed.  Approximately 12 hours later, B wakes up and we start all over again!  So, I guess it is a routine of sorts, but nowhere near as structured as all those professionals say it should be.  No, we're not on a three-hour cycle.  No, things don't happen at the same exact minute every day, BUT, we're happy and again, that's what matters!

Just look at that happy, silly face!  How could anyone possibly suggest she isn't loving her life with Mommy right now?! 

Week 1

Being a stay-at-home-mom, or SAHM, is a lot of things, but most of all, rewarding.  Bunny is currently napping, MM is playing our favorite video game, and I'm finally enjoying my "morning" cup of coffee while relaxing on the sofa.  It's not glamorous, it's not "exciting" by society's standards, and for some it may be downright boring, but it's our life and we love it.

I've learned quite a bit the first week, most of which I'm sure other SAHMs can already vouch for, but I'll quickly run down what I know after Week 1.

1. It's not going to be like you thought it was.  (Well, duh, when is life ever the way we imagined it?  At least I was prepared for it this time.)
2. You will have NO TIME!  I know things will get better as Bunny and I develop a schedule, but for now I am getting 1/8 - 1/4 of the things done I "plan" to each day.  Par for the course, Mama.
3. Nap time doesn't miraculously improve just because you will it to.  Another duh moment, but I was honestly hoping we'd have made better progress after a week.
4. There is no task more important than cuddles.  And there is no guilt involved in stopping what I'm doing for cuddles, either.
5. Finally being in the midst of our new financial situation is HARD, but there is peace in knowing that God will provide.
6. A walk a day keeps the Mommy blues away.  It's refreshing.  It's "me" time.  It's good for me!
7. Catching up on laundry is the kobayashi maru of the SAHM's life. That and keeping the dishes done.  Where do they all come from for Pete's sake?!?!  (Okay, to be honest, it's the plight of all parents' lives, but it seems more pronounced now that I stare at it all day rather than being able to ignore the problem for 8 hours at work). 
8. That moment of silence right after the nap begins is truly golden.  And then it's shattered by ear-piercing shrieks because the binky slipped from the lips before Bunny was completely out.  Oy-vey. 
9. That whole, "I'm going to have all the chores for the day done by the time MM walks in the door from work every day of the week" thing?  A pipe dream, sister.  Not going to happen.  Probably ever.
10. It will all be worth it.  End of story.

But, what I promise is:

1. I will not get caught up in the uncrossed to-dos.  They can be crossed off another day.
2. I will not be a slave to dust bunnies, dirty dishes, or dirty clothes.  
3. I will take care of myself.  For me.  For Bunny.  For MM.
4. I will stop to smell the roses, namely those chubby, rosy-red cheeks.
5. Kisses will flow freely and relentlessly.  I hope you like kisses, kid.
6. MM and Bunny are #2.  God is #1.  That's the best thing I can do for both of them.  Put God first and He will take care of the rest.
7. At least once a week, I will cuddle up in bed with you and we will nap to our heart's content.  It's good for our souls.  And because Mamas get tired, too.
8. I will listen.  
9. We will explore life.  We will not be prisoners in our home.  We will go on great adventures, even if it's just a picnic in the front yard.  Explorers are we!
10. God and love will always come first.  Always.  And forever.  From God and love will come every skill you need to survive in life.  Including discipline.  There's room for that, too, as long as we do it lovingly.

Long story short; it's all a dream come true.  And we wouldn't have it any other way.  Look at this face.  How could I NOT spend 24 hours a day with her?!

And in the interest of full disclosure, I will let you know that it is currently 12:30 p.m. and we are all still in our pj's.  Breakfast has not been cleaned up and the second I hit "publish", I will make Bunny's lunch, but I have no clue what that lunch is going to be.  Ahhhhhhhhh, this life.  So divine!

Turning the Page

I'm a big ball of emotion right now.  I'm hiding it pretty well on the surface, but I'm sure I'll crack by tomorrow afternoon.  Why?  Tomorrow is my last official day at my job.  It's the longest time I've been with one employer my entire life.  I've spent 6 years at this office and have worked with the most wonderful people.  While it's for the best, and I know that, tomorrow at 5:00 pm will be bittersweet. 

Some of the best times I've experienced since we moved here in January 2006 have been experienced with my coworkers.  Whether it's been on trips for attaining certification or just celebrating special occasions together, we have had a blast.  It's a strange situation to be in.  You don't hear of too many people willingly leaving a job that they love, but that's exactly what I'm doing.  And all of that in the midst of a recession and unprecedented unemployment across the country.  What am I thinking?!

But, at the end of the day, I'm, no WE'RE doing this all for her.  She's the reason for all of this and it is so worth it to know that I will be the one with her all day, every day.  We see that the tradeoff for voluntary forfeiting 45% of our income is a daughter who will have been raised by her mother and father, not by a nanny, daycare provider, or childcare facility.  Not that we have anything against those who have made different choices than us; we just know that it's what is right for us.

Yes, the satellite television may have to go away and we may not be able to eat out or travel as often as we used to, but we will see the payoff as we raise a daughter of the King.  I will be sad tomorrow when I say "goodbye" to my most enjoyable paying job to date, but just look at this face!  Think my sadness will last long?  Not a chance.  It's just turning the page to an exciting, new, adventurous chapter in our lives!!

Finally Free!!

This will be a quick post because we are currently swamped both at work and personally.  But I am finally able to make our big announcement:

I AM QUITTING WORK TO BECOME A STAY-AT-HOME-MOM!!!!

MM and I are so excited about this new chapter in our lives.  It was always our dream for me to stay home with Bunny and whatever other children we have, but we always thought the finances were holding us back.  Well, God took that idea and threw it out the window when He reminded us that we only have one chance to raise our child(ren) the way we want to and we'd better take the chance He's given us.  Well, we're taking the plunge!  Bunny will be leaving her daycare on May 1.  From May 1 - June 29, I will work part-time, bringing Bunny with me.  As of July 1, I will officially be a stay-at-home-mama FOR GOOD!

I can't wait!  More on this later, but I've got to fly now!  Got a lot of loose ends to tie up in the next 3 months!!