The BIG Move...

Months and months of planning, waiting, building, waiting, and excitement we are in the final stages of moving.  That means we have 3 kiddos and a dog plus 2 adults living out of boxes in an attempt to pack and prepare since it looks like we will be cutting it close and moving right at the start of school.  This whole process has been frustrating at times, exciting at times but overall an amazing experience knowing that we have had the opportunity to build a custom home for our family, and we are extremely thankful for this.

Along with an actual move, I am moving "virtually" to a "Like" page on Facebook during our transition since it is so much easier for me to post and communicate from my mobile phone this way.  You can find me at www.facebook.com/smallstepssc along with my daily posts on Instagram (smallstepssc) and Twitter (smallstepssc).

Operation get my sh*t together...

In all honesty I have never been the most organized person and since we are being honest I am not the best at completing most things I start (examples include the 1st borns baby scrapbook with 3 pages finished, half completed knitting projects let on needles, a half organized basement).  I have a hard time staying on task and I tend to get bored with projects that take longer then a few hours (some days anything over a few minutes).  Over the years I have gotten "better" but I still tend to get scattered and sidetracked, and life with 3 kids, a husband and a puppy can easily become chaotic on a good day and spiral quickly out of control on a bad day.  Since becoming a full time stay at home and adjusting to the husband's new schedule we have been "surviving" but it is time to get my sh*t together so that our days are happier, our memories better, our food healthier and my anxiety that comes with all the chaos is calmed.  So here are a few things I am starting with:

1. Schedule/routine:  

The whole house runs better when there is a schedule/routine.  I like things to be predictable and the boys do to.  It also keeps us focused and on task. We will be returning to a weekly house schedule that includes laundry/floors everyday, shopping on Mondays and our official cleaning day to be Wednesdays (it used to be Saturday, we would listen to NPR and clean all morning but since the husband is home on Saturdays we have gotten away from that since I have been going running resulting in some deep cleaning being ignored)

We will also start using our daily schedule again.  This allows the boys to see what we have planned for the day and what will be coming up.  It also gives them a bit of control because at the end of the day they can request an activity for the next day.

Daily Schedule: Laminated cards w/ velcro - adapted from the concepts used in AI classrooms

This also means I want to get back to my own personal routine which included some down time in the evening to journal and reflect.  Hopefully using the days more productively will result in a less exhausting day and the energy in the evening for this.  It was so nice to look back and see all the positives of the day and all the small things that make a person smile.  I miss that.  It also means preparing as much as possible for the next day after the kids go to bed.  Sippy cups filled and in the fridge, dishwasher emptied, counters clear of clutter, etc.

It also means getting back to updating our Cozi Family calendar so everyone in the family has access to our current week/month schedule and can easily see any updated appointments and engagements.

2. Meal Planning/Shopping Lists:

This is one of those domestic activities I really stink at, I can have the best meal plan but day of the meal I won't want what I planned and well, we end up eating out or ordering pizza.  The new rule is no matter what we are having what I plan! (This means making sure I have all the ingredients, that they are thawed).  Today I plan to reorganize and inventory our pantry, food shelf and freezer, then use what I have in the house to make a plan that includes 2 weeks of meals (minus fresh veggies and milk since we will need those weekly).

I get all of my meal planning printables from Organized Home and my pantry/freezer/shopping list is a simple Numbers document I save to my iCloud so I can have access to it when I am not at home on my iPhone.  I also use the shopping list on Cozi to keep some smaller shopping lists for things like Christmas or birthdays.

I also want to start getting the kids in the kitchen more, they are always begging to help but by dinner my patience is gone and I do not want to deal with the mess (yep I am pretty sure after this post my Mom of the Year nomination will be revoked, but hey we are being honest right).  This is going to take some planning and prep so that they all will have a job to do and we can safely cook our meal.

3. 1-2-3-Magic:

This is a big one! We used 1 - 2 - 3 Magic as our discipline system a while back and it helped SO MUCH (at least in my opinion) with the yelling (theirs and mine).  Not only did I stop yelling, but the time with the boys was so much better.  Back to this system we will go, I will be rereading the book tonight after bed time and sending the ebook to the husband for him to read, and tomorrow we start again.  My kids are great kids, they are just FULL of energy, excitement, strong personalities, and often times overly emotional which when all of those things are combined it equals fighting, obnoxious behavior and a ton of chaos.  I want to return to the laughter and joy instead of the fighting and yelling. 

Three things is enough to work on for now I think...I will check back in next Tuesday to report how it's going and if I am any closer to getting it together...

Do you ever have days where you feel like you know longer have it together?  Any tips for me on getting it together?  Any tips for getting kids in the kitchen and keeping it all under a decent amount of control?

Happy New Year!

I know, I know it's a little late...but sometimes better late then never! I have spent the last couple months focused on myself, my family, decluttering and of course the holidays.  As far as running goes, January was a month of maintaining and just enjoying the daily running without worrying about pace and miles.  I even took an entire week off! YES a whole week without running a single step, one reason was because I kept having a slight shin pain when I ran and knew I needed to rest it, but also last week I started the 16 week Furman First 1/2 Marathon Training Plan for Bayshore and I wanted to be rested and motivated since I remember how tough the workouts were.

Along with trying to enjoy the moments with my 3 boys (which somedays are much tougher to enjoy the chaos and crazy then others) I have started focusing on feeding the family healthier home cooked meals again.  We even started juicing again.  I love the fresh juice as does my husband and the little 2 boys.  The oldest tends to be pickier and anything with garlic or ginger he never seems to finish.  I have also tried focusing on the little things that make our day to day life special, whether it was a moment during the day, something one of them said, something we did as a family I have started "journaling" it in my new Erin Condren Life Planner .  I use the monthly pages for our events. (in reality as a family we are not that busy and I don't write down things like "swim lessons" or any other reoccurring event and I do not use it to log miles since I have my Commitment Day Journal for that)  Then I use the weekly/daily pages to write the little things throughout the day.  It is nice to take 5 minutes throughout the day and reflect or sometime the 20 minutes in the evening to just think about our day.  What I have learned and recognized so far after doing this the last few weeks is that even when it appears to be the most awful day there is always something to be thankful for and a happy moment that was/is worth remembering.

Erin Condren Life Planner with Collage Cover 

So here is to a new month and back on track with the blogging (since I got away from actually writing anything when I discovered how fun Instagram is)

(Full disclosure: A friend recommended the Run Less Run Faster Furman First Method to me last year after he used it to help him Boston Qualify.  I did purchase and read the book all on my own.  I also purchased the Erin Condren Life Planner after it was recommended by several friends and I do not regret it one bit! It's a great planner!)

Christmastime is scary this year for me...

Simon heading off to school in his Santa hat...

Last week Simon was so excited for Christmastime that he wanted to wear his Santa hat to school in place of his winter hat.  I let him, but spent the majority of the day with anxiety.  What if that Santa hat brought on unnecessary discussion about Santa and his existence?  He does ride the bus with older children, waits in line to go inside the school with older children...oh please do not let anyone ruin the magic for my little boy, I am not ready for him to stop believing in the magical time of Christmas.  This is the first year I was uncertain we would make it the entire season without getting busted by one of the boys.  I would rather have Simon use his critical thinking skills to figure out that the logistics of Santa are not possible (or legal since people cannot just go around climbing down chimneys), then someone at school telling him Santa is not "real".

In our house we believe in Santa and we are definitely an over achieving elf family.  Now, I know there is some controversy out there in Parent World about Santa (and please remember there is no right or wrong way, nor am I judging anyone that does it different then us, but this is what works for our family and why), but let me explain why he is a big part of our Christmas Season.  As a child I remember the excitement and magic that surrounded the holidays in our house.  The wonder and make believe.  The ringing of the bell on Christmas morning so we could come downstairs. (One of those bells still sits on my mantle year round and I smile when I see it because it triggers so many happy memories)  I do not know when I figured it all out, but part of me still believes in Santa.  Not the person himself, but what he stands for; the good in people, the giving without the recognition (I know when they figure it out they will understand it was mom and dad but for right now their smiles and joy are all the "credit" I need), the make believe and the magic.  Santa does not put the boys on the naughty or nice list though in our house, I have explained to Simon several times in his little life that just because he makes poor choices sometimes this does not make him a "bad kid", so we stay clear labeling them naughty or nice around the holidays as well.  This is also one of the reasons we chose to use Elf Magic Elves, because I was not a big fan of the Elf on the Shelf story that talked about him reporting to Santa.  We want them to behave even when know one is "watching", when they do the right thing because of their own self pride not because someone can see them.  I also did not like that you could not touch Elf on a Shelf, so when I found the Elf Magic Elves and the story behind them that talks about making memories and spending time with the family I was sold.  (You can really use ANY elf or any "doll" for the holidays and still have the same outcome).  Our elves really like to bring us activities that we can do as a family or activities we can do for others, such as when we bake our cookies for the neighbors or go shopping for our toys for other children.  I know many people roll their eyes at our little elf tradition or the amount of time and effort I put into it every year, but I will never forget the smiles and excitement I get to see every morning.  I will never forget the memories that we have made and will continue to make and I hope long after they figure it all out for themselves, they continue to enjoy the opportunity to imagine and believe even as an adult.  I hope that long after the material presents have been broken or outgrown; they remember all the fun we had as a family and they remember the little things that make the holidays special.

Over achieving Elf Family

When the day comes that Simon figures out the whole Santa business (which even if a kid at school does not spill the beans it will be soon I am planning since Simon is a pretty logical thinker) I plan to share a letter similar to the one written by another mother who explains it all so perfectly HERE.

What holiday traditions do you and your family enjoy?  What happened after your little ones found out?

Meet the Family

My other and sometimes better half Mike and I raise our 3 spirited boys the best way that we know how.  They are a handful to say the least and keep us on our toes.  Even with the daily hiccups we experience, our problems are pretty trivial compared to what many face in their lifetime.  We love each other unconditionally and are doing the best we can to live life fully.  We attempt to embrace our daily life...the small things that will ultimately become the biggest memories.  The family dinners, reading books to the boys, blanket and pillow forts etc.  Without anymore ramblings please allow me to introduce our little pride and joys:

Simon*: Age 5
Simon is my little scientist, mathematician and overall explorer of how things work.  He is sweet & sensitive, charismatic, cautious, analytical, perceptive, selective, assertive and persistent.  

Alvin*: Age 2
Alvin is intense, curious, creative, dramatic, energetic, and opinionated.  He was vocal from the time he was born and quickly turned those colic cries into an ever expanding vocabulary that he uses to express his thoughts and emotions.

Theodore*: Age 1
The jury is still out on our last little surprise blessing Theodore.  So far he seems to be just as spirited as his older brothers.  Recently he has been asserting himself a bit more and seems to be selective, curious, and dramatic.

(*For their safety on the world wide "interwebs" their real names will not be used and I ask any family and friends avoid their names in comments as well.  Thank you for your cooperation.)