Wow, thanks for all the great survival tips, ladies! Kylie, you really knocked yourself out. Though of course, brownie points go to Katja, who can always bring the blush out–
“My survival techniques? Well, that’s easy! Just keep reading the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about mamahood, as ably and humerously written by dear dear CJ!”
Everyone offered up goodies. Lots of things we already do, but it never hurts to be reminded about the importance of. Getting outside is one of the best tools in the parenting toolkit, for so many reasons. It’s easy as pie here, most of the year. Especially now with our new, improved, big yard.
I heard ya on the jacket potatoes. Check. I do them sometimes, but not often enough. What do you all like to put on them? Fried rice is a great one too, that for some stupid reason I never make. Will remedy that tonight.
Unfortunately, my used to be “great eater” has officially become “picky.” She hardly wants to eat anything but frozen berries and cheesesticks. Even used to be faves get the stink eye. It’s so discouraging. I know I just need to let it go. Roll with it, right? She’ll eat if she’s hungry. No one ever died of starvation with food on their plate.
I knew this would come. Pickiness is practically a rite of passage. And with her defiant personality, I’m just lucky it took this long.
But, shower before bed? Every night?! When am I supposed to clean up after dinner? Sweep up the day’s disasters? Talk with My Man for our daily 10 minutes? Wind down with my beloved blog readers’ brilliant comments? Not to mention, just go the hell to bed? Showering sounds so laborious to me at 8:30.
Nevertheless, I think you might be on to something, Kylie. I am a dirty beast. My usual schedule is shower once a week, on Saturdays. Yes, even in the hot sticky summer. Hey, I used to go months without showers when I lived in the woods. The dirtiness kind of plateaus.
But I’ve been getting sort of fed up with being dirty all the time. More distressingly, I’ve been having trouble some nights quieting my brain down for sleep. Laying there in bed, soooooo tired, but unable to go to sleep– my kiddos didn’t get their sleep issues from nowhere. I used to suffer terrible insomnia, my whole life on and off, until wrenching heartbreak somehow cured me. I know, doesn’t make sense, but it was like a light switch. Since then, I have had just a night here and there, which always terrify me because I think it’s coming back.
Anyway, there’s few things in this world more frustrating than lying in bed, tired as hell, not sleeping. As a mama, the frustration of it is doubled. So, even though it’s only happened to me a handful of nights, I had been thinking I need to nip it in the bud. To re-write my bedtime rituals.
As impossible as a shower sounds, it’s a good idea. I might just give it a try.
In amongst other good advice, Mutherfunker said to zone in on something lovely about each of my kids. This is a theme repeated in lots of comments, and in my own brain quite often.
I have lots more to say about this, but it will have to wait for tomorrow, Little Guy just woke up.
Good morning!
calamity jane 
Penny for your thoughts…?