Tag: Mama Moments

This Mama’s Broken Heart and R.E.M. Sleep Cycle

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Mama

It’s not even nine o’clock and the coffee is gone. . . It’s going to be a long day.

Our son, for whatever reason, has been waking up in the absolute middle of the night convinced that someone is trying to get into our home to harm him. He cries, wants us to sleep with him and refuses to go back to sleep for hours. This has been going on for over a week now and we are all running on a lot less than full steam. I actually took a three-hour nap Saturday afternoon (after a trip to the Missouri Star Quilt Co. in Hamilton, but that’s another story) because I was so tired. It wouldn’t have been an issue but we had a party to attend and the babysitter’s arrival was the only thing that got me out of bed. Now, that’s embarrassing!

Last night I finally had enough (this mama likes her sleep); so after an hour of more of the same I finally told him if he couldn’t sleep he should get up and clean his room. And so he did! This must be serious. We have talked, reassured, cuddled and reasoned. We have checked doors, told stories and tried tough love. We have recalled happy things, thought about favorite places and read books. We have tried essential oils, counted sheep and yes, even suggested household chores. I just don’t know what else to do.

Old Man Winter reared his grumpy head again this weekend with bitter temps and snow flurries, so if Spring finally decides to stay for good this time we will be able to get outside and exercise more, which should help. We already limit our son’s electronic time to 30 minutes a day and after last night I’m restricting his TV viewing to PBS (he actually thought this one was a good idea). I stay on top of what he watches on a daily basis, but perhaps there have been fear triggers and mature subjects that have escaped my perception. Of course the kids at school talk about all matter of ill-advised subjects like Five Nights at Freddy’s, the movie It (Why are parents allowing their first graders to watch this stuff?) and what they saw on the news; but that environment is somewhat out of my control.

We have to figure this out, because it breaks a mama’s heart (and R.E.M. sleep cycle) to have a child in fear tears in the middle of the night without being able to make it all better. That’s what we mamas do — we fix things!

If you have any suggestions or consolations, please leave me a comment below. This mama needs some help (and some serious sleep)! Thank you.

photo credit: Real Cowboys Drive Cadillacs early morning (rest your head remix) via photopin (license)

Back-to-School and Back to Scrapping

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Mama

Yippee! I finally finished a scrapbook spread for the current year in which I’m living. No, that doesn’t happen very often (I’m still trying to finish a December daily album from 2015). In fairness, I decided to give myself a fighting chance this year by going with pocket pages. . . with the option of a few 12×12 more creative designs.

So here’s my first go at this new approach and I think it might just work for an album that’s, well, “a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll.” I’m going to use Simple Stories-ish papers to keep a cohesive feel throughout the months, and I started with the back-to-school Smarty Pants pack. I received inspiration from the Stuck?!Sketches early September challenge and the Scrap Our Stash Tic Tac Toe Challenge. It was pretty simple to combine the two challenges and the second pocket page gave me plenty of space for multiple photos; because let’s face it, it is really hard for me to wrap up a monumental day with just one pic. By the way, I’m not adding my pocket page to this post just because there is a lot of personal information on it and I try to keep my little guy’s privacy as under wraps as possible. Thanks for understanding. I can tell you that it’s a nine-pocket page with six photos and three decorative squares that complements my large design.

The layout for the main page came from the Stuck?! September sketch pictured below. I thought this was a great layout for my main back-to-school picture and I love all the textures and fun elements. I fulfilled the Scrap Our Stash Tic Tac Toe Challenge diagonally by using an arrow, ruler and dictionary paper. This challenge has become one of my favorites, because I get to decide which way I want to combine all these fun items.

Fresh Air is Good for the Grumps

Posted on June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 by Mama

I’m always amazed at how quickly a little fresh air erases my child’s crummy moods. My little guy apparently swallowed a grump monster while he slept last night because, man, he was super sour from the moment his feet hit the floor. No wait, I believe he pouted at me the second I opened his door to check on his sweet little sleeping self (that might be a record). I mean it was awful. Nothing was as it should be, every answer was dripping with whine and the day was quickly getting way out of whack.

So imagine my surprise when my son asked to tend the chickens. I think he sensed his need for change as much as I did. I sent him out the door with chicken food and the promise I would catch up in a bit. By the time I pulled on my rubber boots and ventured outside, he was already flitting about with the hens and had a smile on his face. Chalk it up to another win for nature!

As an added bonus we also discovered a box turtle clearly on his way to somewhere, but he was kind enough to make a short stop while we said hello (even if he didn’t eat the carrot I chopped for him at the request of my little man). That was no matter because the fresh air and animal encounters were just enough to turn my boy’s frown upside down, and that is how I prefer to start our day.

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