So much to do… so little time
I feel like my life’s been on a pretty slow pace since we’ve moved. I just don’t have many friends or responsibilities etc. This week it’s picked up though. I’ve got something every night and day this week. Tomorrow I’m teaching a cake decorating class for enrichment (two classes actually- one in the morning and one in the evening). I should be doing a dozen things- cleaning my house, making cake and frosting, printing off handouts… But I’m so freaking lazy!
Procrastination is my middle name…
This morning started off badly, no one was listening, I’d forgotten about an appointment at 10 and didn’t have a sitter yet and my ‘regulars’ weren’t available. I finally found someone (and the girls had a blast) and got home and the girls went in their room to play while I tidied the kitchen from breakfast and prepared for lunch while listening to the state of the union address on youtube. Steve came home (as he usually does for lunch) and I realized that the girls had been playing nicely (and quietly for a while). Then I went to investigate. Sigh… Their room was covered in water. I’m not sure why they thought that would be fun. So I sent them downstairs for dry clothes and told them to come right back up to clean up the mess. Then Annika yells upstairs, ‘can I click on the puter?’ I told her no- they needed to clean up their mess. Well, apparently in Annika land no means yes. I went downstairs 5 minutes later and annika was on the computer and Megan was watching TV. I told them that there would be no more computer or tv time for them today. They’ve become WAY to addicted and they weren’t listening. Then I made them my servants.
The rest of the day has been so peaceful though! I’m thinking they need to be grounded from TV/Computer more often.
What do you do to get motivated when you’re procrastinating?
What messes did your kids make today?
How do you regulate computer and tv time for your kids?
May I suggest:
Lucy’s review of A Thousand Splendid Suns. I just finished reading this yesterday and it was riveting. I highly recommend it. Lucy’s review is fabulous.
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Thank goodness my kids are to young yet. Gavin is a pretty good listener but I have a feeling Laney is going to be a hand full. I like that you said you made them your slaves. Blake says that that is what you have children for.
hope you have a better day tomorrow.
hmm… when I am proscratinating and should not be, I just have to force myself to start with something, albeit small. Sometimes once I see “progress” then it motivates me to move on to something else.
Messes… I’ve been fairly blessed that Gabriela is not a terrible mess maker, though she’s pretty good at getting lots and lots of her toys (small items) out and spreading them across her room, the living room and my bedroom (wait, that’s the whole house)
Computer and tv time… ugh. That’s a hard one. I have really felt like since we moved into the apartment with cable included we’ve become much bigger tv junkies than I’d like us to be, plus with us both so busy and spread out, we use it as an entertainer way too much, plus she’s at that age where she can whine for it way too good… It used to be the rule of one select video/movie per day. Now, it’s much more, but I try to intersperse it based on what the parents’ needs are for quiet. As a family we watch one show per day together (our brasilian soap opera). I’ve let her do the games on pbskids.org more frequently, and that is often while I am preparing a meal, and hope it’s a little more educational than simply watching Snorks.
(though, they do have some good social lessons too in the stories)
How do I get motivated? Plan a baby shower for 60 women at my house. Works every time
What messes? Well, my house is a disaster. I have sickies and quite frankly, as long as they aren’t whining at me, I am happy.
Computer and tv time? I am on the computer and that limits their time. Once they get on in, I set a timer. They get 30 minutes of PBSKids, and that is really it. My oldest does like Encarta Encyclopedia for kids. I don’t like to limit that because she is learning. The tv is raising them right now. Normally it isn’t like that. They get one hour of tv a day (when they aren’t sick). Once it is up, it is up. We also don’t have cable. That helps.
My two year old thought it would be a good idea to make a small existing hole in the wall in our sunroom much bigger with his toy hammer. Mommy was NOT happy. Now I have a hole the size of a plum in my wall, and I’m not sure how to fix it. Little turd.
Hopefully that is all the destruction he has on his agenda for today.
The first thing my kids do when they get home from school is wash their hands, then get on the computer. That includes my five year old, when he gets home from preschool! They’re each limited to about an hour, and after that it’s homework or play time. It’s either the computer or TV…not both.
“Then I made them my servants.” I love it!
I have a timer above my computer. Because my computer is a big sucking vortex that once I get on…I don’t resurface for a looooong time. So I set the timer. When it goes off, I get up. I do one other thing. I tell myself “just one thing…and then you can go back to reading blogs…just one!” but I am also kinda scatter-brained. The one thing I go to do gets done…but so do about three other things that I saw needed doing and hey! I’m already there, so why not? Helps a lot.
As for the kids, we have a “five toys” rule. If they want to do something fun like watch a movie, get out a board game, have chicken nuggets for lunch, etc. then they must both pick up five toys. Doesn’t matter which size or whose they are…just five and then they can have fun. Good thing my youngest can’t count. He usually picks up 10 before his sister is done.
Hence the reason my word is “now”. I know that kind of day. Sadly, the only alternative is to get something done. And then it’s kickstarted into hyper “get everything done” mode, which is a mode I don’t enjoy. Which brings me back to procrastination.
Sorry about your messes. But thanks for the compliment. We should discuss!
SO, Messes…. I don’t have a kid… I have a cat. One day, the day I decided to really dress up for work, I mean Actually wear a dress and stuff. I came home to Kassie puke EVERYWHERE!!! I had hid her treats on top of my computer monitor. Well, that wasn’t a good spot. She found them, ate the plastic to get in the bag, and proceded to eat the rest of the treats. There went my lunch hour. I was on my hands and knees in my dress, with a bottle of resolve and a sponge. Discusting.
She throws up a lot anyway.
I definitely have a procrastination problem… in fact, that’s what I’m doing right now. Sometimes it just takes shear force. “I am going to do this RIGHT NOW!” That’s the changing the Cat Littler and loading the dish washer statement.