Murphy's Laws for Moms

Over this past weekend, I learned something.  If you've read any of my blog, you'll probably be thinking, "Well, duh! It was bound to happen."  But, for whatever reason, I didn't know it would happen.  I was dumbfounded.  And, I might have yelled at my child when it did happen. The sound of a toilet flushing in my house is not an uncommon occurrence.  However, when I hear it, I almost always cringe...What is my child flushing down the potty today?  Please, oh, please. Let it be bodily functions. Throughout the past year - as we've been potty training my 3-year-old - he has managed to flush dog food (the smell will make you nauseous), PB&Js (which will clog the toilet), My Little Pony figurines, toothbrushes, and more down the potty.  I have become quite adept at getting the toilets in my house back into working order after these incidents.  However, this weekend, something new happened. My children love to fish.  They've been severa...

I try to keep my children occupied throughout the day - especially my three-year-old.  After all, I've learned, a busy child is one who is most likely not getting into things he (or she) should not be getting into.  However, every parent has those moments where you just have to step away.  Maybe it's to answer a knock at the door or a ringing phone.  Perhaps you need to make a meal.  Or, God forbid, you just have to go to the bathroom. This was my mistake.  Why did I think that I could simply go to the bathroom?  It wasn't as though I was leaving my child unattended.  We were in our own home and, not to toot my own horn I was having an exceptionally awesome parenting day.  We had spent the morning reading books and playing with trains.  Not once had my child had to entertain himself with the TV or other form of technology.  I might have required a cup (or three) too many of coffee, but I was on top of my game. And yet, I desperate...

Our home office is typically off limits to our children.  Because of this, it is the area in which they both desire - more than anything - to spend their time.  We've set up gates, filing cabinets, trash cans, and storage bins in the entrance to our office (it's an open den area) in an effort to foil their attempts to enter.  They have all failed. Upon gaining entrance to this heavily guarded fortress within our home, our children's (especially our 2-year-old son's) mission quickly changes to 'seek and destroy'.  What do they seek?  Primarily our computer monitors because aren't they just one giant screen on which a child is meant to color? So, if you come across this same battle with your children, be sure to keep a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol on hand.  Use either a Q-tip or cotton ball (be sure your monitor is off) and gently rub across the screen.  In a matter of seconds, the drawings are erased.  This is effective for Sharpie, highlighter,...