Every family has one…right?

I am talking about the "Kid who cut their own hair" story. I think it is a right of passage as a parent. You know, when your kid decides that cutting their own hair is a genius idea or a fun game…please tell me you all have these stories?

A couple of weeks ago Meeka got her hair cut. 

This was her 2nd ever and it had been 9 months since her first. 

Well, She LOVED it!!!! 

She loved it so much that for the entire week following I had to keep a close eye on her as she would miraculously show up with scissors and talk about her haircut. Well, I must have been slacking, because really who know what else I would have been doing, and she comes up to me with scissors and a chuck of hair and very happily said, "I CUT MY HAIR!!!!" 

"Ahhhhhh, NOOOOOO!!!" If you were wondering what that noise was the other day it was me screaming in despair as chunks of hair kept falling out of her head as she led me to the pile of hair on the basement floor.

So now she has a full on mullet….

The 80's are coming back right? Maybe I should buy her some neon for Spring and she will be the most stylish toddler around!

Look out Suri…here comes Meeka!

Spring Break

This week is Spring Break for us and we decided to take a Caribbean Cruise this year….OK, so maybe that was only in my dreams…

In reality we stayed home and just chilled. Carson, Michael and Logan are battling allergies and sickness, so we have had a pretty low key week. Which means we stayed in our PJ's until mid-morning, took long baths with shaving cream and bubbles, did a lot of jumping on the trampoline, coloring and playing pretend. We did make it out yesterday to enjoy the Spring weather. We walked to the park in our neighborhood in the morning and met some friends and then we went to a local MetroPark and met Aunt Shendy and Sammy Reece in the afternoon. For not having done anything productive or super fun this week, time sure flew by. Kind of makes me excited for summer!!

Checking out the cows

Duke the horse was just coming in from the fields and the kids got a chance to pet him.

Cousins!

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

This morning for breakfast I made a little "treat." I had accidentally picked up regular oatmeal in a rush (not the quick cooking kind) and it is just to time consuming for the morning breakfast rush, so I decided I needed to bake with it. I started with a recipe I found on pinterest for baked oatmeal and I added my own spin for a healthy breakfast treat. They were a hit with all the kiddos…and me!

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

• 3 mashed bananas (the more ripe the better!)

• 1 cup vanilla soy milk

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbsp Baking powder

• 3 cups Old Fashion or Rolled Oats

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• A handful mini chocolate chips

• I scoop of natural Peanut Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together, and let sit while you prepare the muffin pans.

Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray.

Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter.

Divide batter into 15 muffin cups. They should be just about filled.

Bake 20-30 minutes for large muffins or 15-17 min for mini muffins, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and they will be firm to the touch.

The muffins may stick when hot but are removed easily when cooled for a bit.

Personality in pictures

Less than 24 hours after their rooms had been cleaned here is what they look like. 

Can you tell their personalities by their rooms? 

I think so!

Logan

Meeka & Carson

Melina

Judgement day

This past week has been a week of reflection for for me. There was a situation in which I always felt like I was being judged as a parent and a person. It did not make me feel good….at all! That person confirmed that yup, the way I parent was not how they do and some of the things that my kids do would never be tolerated in their house. This fact frustrated that person. And I understand that. I too have looked at other kids behavior and judged a parent. Am I proud to say that…NO! But we ALL do. Some just make their dissaproval more apparent than others. 


I am a very emotional person (a trait that will stay with me forever I believe) and sometimes I have a hard time just letting stuff roll off my sleeve. So I hem and haw and I think and analyze things to death. But I have leaned over my past 7 3/4 years of a parent that there is no right and wrong way to parent (unless a child is in danger or being neglected) and most parents are doing their best. Also (and I know this is clique) but "Never Judge a Book by its Cover!" When we encounter strangers kids we don't know their situation. Is that child acting that way because they have experienced something they don't know how to deal with and it is coming out in aggression? Does that child have ADHD or Aspergers? Does that child not get enough to eat at home? Who knows…so who are we to judge openly? 


I know I have been judged many times over. We struggled with Logan's behavior for years. But it was not something that I unaware of or ever ignored. It was something that we were working our very hardest to change and to help him with. And our efforts have paid off two fold! I am so proud of where we have come!! And I know when people would ask Meeka her name and at 2 1/2 (and she looked 3+) and she could not answer them, they judged. But again, we were doing our very best to help her with that…and again, it has paid off!!


Only two times in my life though have I dealt with someone so openly stating their disapproval and they were hard to deal with emotionally. Because like I said before, "aren't we all trying to do best for our kids?" 


So this really made me think a lot this week on how much we judge others…good and bad. Grass is always greener on the other side...or not. You don't know the struggles that person may be going through. We all do our best and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Be happy with your life, your kids, your family, etc. Never judge yourself against others. And try your best not to judge others against you. Because that person is probably trying their very best too. And a lot of times there is no right or wrong on how to parent. That is why we live in a  country with choices. No one judges you for the shampoo you use or the type of milk you buy so why should you be judged on how you raise your kids when their are countless choices on how to do so?


A friend of mine said, "We all judge, and we are all judged by others. You just hope that others are as courteous about not making us know it as we are to others." And this statement could not be more true! It is impossible to NEVER judge, but if you do,just know that they may still think about that situation years later!!

Lets Play Pretend!

            My kids LOVE to play pretend!           

They LOVE to dress up!

And I LOVE that they LOVE to use their imagainations! 

My baby boy...

No longer looks like a baby! 

Today he got his first haircut. 

Before the chopping began.

During the haircut he sat very still.
He loves to get his hair brushed, so I guess this had the same sensation for him!

Mohawk with the hair before cutting it!

My Big Boy!

What a BIG CHANGE a little haircut makes!