Kid Chores

When I was younger, I didn't have very many chores around the house. I had to load/unload the dishwasher and keep my room clean. As I got older, I understood the words layaway. Want extra clothes that weren't part of the necessities, earn money toward your layaway that was at the Closet or Ups and Downs! I would tell my mom to not clean the house so I could and I would get a few extra dollars to get some super dope clothes! Fair trade off if you ask me.

With McKinley, we haven't really issued too many chores. He has helped us around the house when we ask. He loves to help throw clothes in the washer and dryer. He helps dust because his crane truck is part of the equation. Straightening up the playroom when needed can be a little bit of a struggle. And, he sets the table from time to time and brings his plate from the table to the counter. But that's about it. I'm thinking it's time to add a few more items to his list of things to do. Also, he got a VivoFit for his birthday and there is a chore check list app that I think will be more of game than a chore. Fingers crossed.

I've been reading some of the family chore charts on Pinterest, and for his current and previous age level, it seems to be about the same. And it's close to what he we've had him doing in the past so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Or at least I would like to think it won't be. Easier said than done! Or is it!

Last night was trash round up night. McKinley was a little on the wild side, so I took advantage of all the energy and asked him to go around and grab the trash cans out of the bathrooms and bring them down to the trash. Not a word. Not a fight. He went upstairs, brought the cans down one at a time, and dumped them. YES! One chore added to the list. I also remembered that he loves to water the garden in the summer. Another chore to add. Picking up stray toys from around the house and picking up his playroom will be another story! We don't ask him to make his bed, because currently he sleeps with bed rails. This kid is a crazy sleeper. So crazy in fact that he fell out of the bed just a couple of weeks ago when sleeping over at my parents house. Has never done that before, but I've always worried about it. Bed rails won't be coming down anytime soon! 

So, if you're keeping score, here are the chores so far:

1) Gather up bathroom trash

2) Dust

3) Pick up toys and playroom

4) Help water the garden/plants

5) Unload the dishwasher with appropriate dishes

6) Help sort laundry and add to washer/dryer

This morning, I started playing around with his VivoFit app and found some pre-loaded chores. Love that! So I was able to get some additional ideas and I was able to add them to the list, adjust the frequency in which he does them, and add a coin value for each one. Super cool! Here are some additional chores I added:

7) Do homework

8) Brush teeth in the morning (we do night to ensure they are super clean)

I'm thinking eight is pretty good for now. And, if those goes well, we can always add more. Again, if we make it more of a game, and not really tasks, I'm thinking this could be a success. Not sure there will be a true monetary reward, but maybe a sweet treat here or there to his favorite ice cream shop.

What are you currently doing? How do you reward the work that's done? Is it just expected? I would love to hear your thoughts!

XO,

Andrea

Motherhood

When I thought about becoming a mom, I thought about all those tiny fingers and toes. Those baby coos. That sweet baby smell after a bath. You know, all of the adorable things that come with babies. But I didn't really think much further than that. I didn't think about the learning to crawl, walk, talk, potty train, etc. I only thought about having a baby. Having a baby was the easy part.

McKinley is now seven. Seven years have gone by since he was a baby and boy are things different. Motherhood is different. Motherhood is hard! No one understands that until they are mothers. Before motherhood, I remember listening to other mothers talk about having a baby, raising a baby, a child, and god forbid, a teenager. I would internally roll my eyes, think "It can't be that hard", and walk away saying how different things would be when I became a mother. Shame on me! Since becoming a mom, I want to hug every single mother! I want to tell them I understand. That I get it! And that I need a hug too. 

Everyone talks about the terrible twos. That the independence has started to set in and life with a two year is old is the worst. Guess what, two was fine. Two was great. It was three that had me crazed. Then there was four. Then five. Then six. Six was hard. With six came true independence. A little bit of snark. Influence from other kids that was being tested at home. A test that he often failed. With six came more discipline. More arguments. More frustration at being a bad mother. Well, we are one week into being seven and I've never witnessed anything like this. Tears on the daily, from him not me. Anger like I've never seen over having to do homework or not being able to play 24/7. And a mom who is completely doubting her mothering skills. Have I hovered too much? Have I been too hard on him? Should I have let him figure out the math problems alone instead of intervening? Where in motherhood had I gone wrong?

Yesterday was rough. And the evening that followed even more so. He told me that I was getting in the way. Ruining everything because he needed to work on activities for school instead of spending time playing with Dada. That all he wanted to do was get the work done so he could play. But the thing is, he wasn't getting the work done correctly. And when I asked him to spend more time on the work to correct it, all hell broke lose. Those ugly words vomited out of his mouth, leaving me numb and with eyes full of tears. I'm not sure if he meant them or not, and he probably did, and I am now drowning in them. Maybe I am ruining everything. Maybe I am getting in the way. Maybe I am doing it all wrong. I did ask him later that evening what he meant and he said it was his way of telling me he didn't want to be around me right then. My response, maybe you should say just that instead.....

Motherhood. Motherhood is glorious when it's going really well. Motherhood is draining when you are up all night with sick child and all they want is for you to lay with them. Motherhood is tricky when you're sliding on that slippery slope of stepping in and helping or sitting back and letting them fail. Motherhood is ugly when you're crying those tears of sadness after your child has said things to you that you know you will never forget. Motherhood is a badge that every mother should wear with pride because the shit we put up with on a minute, hourly, daily basis is worse than any of those bad jobs we work(ed)! Motherhood is a sorority of women all over the world that are truly just trying to keep their heads above water, get more than five hours of sleep a night, and getting tipsy on wine when they finally get a night free to hang out with other moms. Motherhood is not for the faint of heart.

Over the past year, I've called my mom more to apologize for anything I might have done during my childhood. There will never be enough apologies. I've also called my mom to vent, cry, and vent some more. I've gone to her house and had champagne in the middle of the day because I deserve it. I've often wondered how many tears she actually shed during her time raising me. Tears of pride. Tears of shame. Tears of unhappiness. I've never actually asked. So again mom, I apologize. And if you're reading this, maybe you should pick up the phone and call your mom to apologize. Or invite her over coffee. Or invite yourself over for champagne. Because now she's no longer just your mom. She's a member of that Motherhood sorority. A sister for life. A friend for life. Your mom for life. And if your mom is no longer with you, well then, call that sweet sorority sister of yours because she's going to be there for you too!

Will McKinley and I be friends at the end of all of this? I sure hope so. What I do know, is that he'll hate me. Call me names behind my back. But, he'll also love me when he wants to. Need me when things get tough. And be my friend when it's time. Because if motherhood is done correctly, I'm definitely going to be his least favorite person for a long time. And maybe that time is now.

XO,

Andrea

The New Kitchen Update

Oh my gosh, you guys! I finished up the kitchen update several weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to taking photos and sharing them with you. Honestly, I knew we used our kitchen a lot, but I had no idea how much until I was trying to capture pictures! Our kitchen is never clean! And when I say clean, I mean washed dishes are still in the sink, the kitchen table is cluttered with mail and miscellaneous things, and the counter tops always have stuff on them. It's generally always a mess! But not this morning. It's clean and photo worthy!

As most of you know, I've been talking about changing the color of my kitchen for months. But let's take a journey back to the original. For years, I had wanted a red kitchen. When we moved in, almost 16 years ago, this house was going to be a starter home so we painted everything a pretty shade of beige. Move in ready for the next couple. Then, I tired of the beige and just went for it. Red it was! In 2012, after a car wreck while seven months pregnant in 2011, we were "awarded" pain and suffering funds and we got a new kitchen. And when I say new, we got granite counter tops, stainless steal appliances, and subway tile. It was the upgrade our space needed. 

But, like anything else in life, the red grew old and I needed a change. The kitchen needed a change. And the least expensive way to make a major change is paint! Here are the colors we were considering. The top is In the Navy and the bottom Rich Navy. We wanted to make sure it played well off the dark counter tops and the amazing windmill clock. After several days of looking at the colors, and asking friends on Facebook, we went with Rich Navy. 

After discussing with the paint experts at Home Depot, we purchased a gray primer to start the process. And I have to say, the gray spoke to me for about a minute. But after I put the first stroke of blue on the wall, I was sold!

After the blue was on the wall, it was down to the little details to make the kitchen look refreshed. Yes, we had the amazing clock, but what else could I do to make it look new without spending any additional money? Well, I moved some things around in my actual kitchen! I've collected aluminumware for years. I've been obsessed with Mid Century Modern design before it was popular and these industrial looking pieces were perfect. I added measuring cups and spoons to the nook inside my sink window. I love the pops of color and how well they play off the blue! I did purchase new lights for the space because I wanted more light coming through. We were worried that the navy might make the our small kitchen feel even smaller, which on the contrary it did now, but the extra light helps. I love the open glass! I also added texture with my striped rug. And lastly, my dad framed some of the still life photos he's been working on and they totally complete the space! 

So without further ado, here is our "new" kitchen!

I truly love how it turned out! It makes spending all that time in the kitchen a little more fun. I think it helped modernize our 1960s home as well. If you can't knock out walls, just paint them! And then add fun accents to make it appear new. You don't have to spend a lot of money either. Like I said, I used things that were already in my kitchen by giving them a new place to sit. And, we didn't break the bank on our lighting. The ceiling light is from Lowe's and the pendant is from Houzz. Both were under $75! The rug is from Home Goods and was less than $30. With the primer, paint, lighting, and rug, we spent less than $250 on our kitchen update. Best $250 spent!

Up next, the bedroom! I've picked out my paint color, purchased darling new side table lamps, and have the bedding all ready to put on the bed! I'm going to paint our existing furniture to help keep our cost down. I can't wait to share!

XO,

Andrea

McKinley's Paining Party

Well, my baby boy turned seven last week and it was a weekend of constant celebration! On Friday, we had a small family party which included dinner at home and an express train cake per McKinley's request. It was a low key event, which was perfectly fine, as the next day was his birthday party with friends. But we were more than ready!

I've been prepping for weeks. As you know from my previous post, I've been making lists, timelines, and working on various DIY projects for the party. We had a painting party which was the perfect setting for this sweet group of kids. Each child had their own work space, a blank canvas for their creation, and all the time they needed to work on their masterpiece. But before hand, we took photos in front of a fun backdrop and they totally hammed it up! After the painting was complete, the group decided to take to the backyard and they played hard! Only taking time out to come inside and sing Happy Birthday while McKinley blew out the candles on his paint palette cake. Back outside again, the mom's took to the kitchen and toasted McKinley in the best way we knew how, with glasses of champagne! It was truly the best day ever!

My husband took some amazing photos during the party. Check out these kiddos in action as they put a lot of thought into their work and then smiled for the camera as they showed off their creation. They are truly the sweetest!

 

 

 
Remember those DIY birthday candles I told you about? Well, there they are! Aren't they darling? I love how they turned out! Perfect for his birthday cake. And, the only way to go with candles in the future. Thanks, Maria for this amazing idea!

I'm pretty sure this guy had the best birthday weekend. I know I enjoyed every minute. And now, I'm going to take a much needed break! Sipping on some coffee and putting my feet up. This mama is tired!

XO,
Andrea